Concealment of Evil
by Turquoisephoenix
Summary: Morphina has returned and this time she brings forth a legion of cutthroats and spellbound slaves. Even with their new experience, Ivy, Rayman, and their friends might not stand a chance against both Morphina and her new partner Bane.
1. Unseen Threats

Concealment of Evil

Disclaimer: Let's see. Ubi Soft created Rayman and I'm nothing more than a mere fan of the game that likes to write Rayman fiction in her spare time. I don't have the several billion to buy Rayman and if I did I would spend it on something more practical like, say, a better computer! Characters are from Rayman 1, Rayman 2, or Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. However, most of them are from Rayman 2 fame and only one or two are from the other games mentioned. The opening song "I Won't Give Up!" is written by yours truly.

Notes: Well. I never thought that I'd start a sequel so soon after the finish of the beginning. (Wow. Oxymoron.) Well, here ya go. "I Won't Give Up!" is here because the main purpose of it was to be the theme to Concealment of Evil. (That and I don't like switching from site to site to read songs alone and I feel many people feel the same.)

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"I Won't Give Up!"

From the bleeding of your wounds, to the clashing of weapons,

You know that this may be your final stand.

From the shouting from your friends, to the wounded cries of death,

You try to hold your weapon in your bloody hands.

Goodbye to hate, goodbye to worries,

The countries are shedding their final tears,

Goodbye to fear and goodbye to virtue,

You must stand and face your fears!

(...I won't give up...)  


  
Let no one try to bring you down as you help your spirit slay the foe,

Your pain and wounds soon bring you to fight the war.

Your friends will let you seize the chance to fight for what is in your soul.

There is no time to question the objectives.

Never try to seek Fate's light as the enemy stands their hearts like coal,

Let your spirit reach its strongest point... 

Give up no fight...

Slay every foe...

Let there be light...

Revive your soul...

Goodbye to truth, goodbye to borders,

Is this war for good or for the extra wealth?

Goodbye to doubts and goodbye to questions,

The outcome is decided now!

(...I will *never* give up...)

Let no one try to bring you down as you help your spirit slay the foe,

The time is right to bring the foe to its end.

Your friends will let you seize the chance to fight for what is in your soul.

Form no more doubts and ask no more questions.

Never try to seek Fate's light as the enemy stands, their hearts like coal,

Let your spirit reach its strongest point... 

Stand for what's right...

Kill all your foes...

Seek your heart's light...

Relight your soul...

(Guitar solo, then fade out.)

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Six months ago, a large role had been played in the wheel of Fate. Morphina, the strongest demon that was entrusted in Jano's care, led a full force attack against the barrier that kept the rest of the demons from poisoning the earth. She was a force to be reckoned with; her powers to change shape and to main full control of many creatures at a time were unstoppable. However, despite her careful planning and full-force attacks, she was out-matched. 

A young girl named Ivy Thorn had found a whole legion of friends to help her win the war. Her blood was that of a zombie-tamer, the name given to the magical performers that keeps demons like Morphina at bay. Along with Rayman and his friends Globox and Sssam, Ivy's younger brother Davis also entered the melee accidently. Freya and Bad-Rayman, originally Commanders in Morphina's army, switched sides and crippled the army greatly. Donnia Starhunter and Rex Skyler were also present; powerful mages that barely escaped Morphina's wrath with their lives.

Morphina finally confronted Ivy and her friends at the Entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams. There, Morphina transformed into her true form; a large serpent-scorpion beast that was the very sign of bad omen and death. Ivy was forced to fight alone with nothing but a short dagger and her spirit. Despite the odds, she was able to defeat Morphina and restore order in the world once again.

As the weeks passed, the group's lives changed for the better. Ivy and Davis started to train under Jano's teaching in case another demon attack came up, Rayman and his loyal companions were fated to guard the world of any would-be overlords, Freya and Bad-Rayman scored a job in the city of Bluddweik, and Donnia and Rex became travelers to seek out the wonders of the world. For six months, life was perfect.

Until Morphina came back...

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"Ivy, tell me why I have to do this?" Davis whined. He was standing knee-deep in swamp water, holding a wooden practice dagger in one hand and a slingshot in another. Behind him, sitting on a fallen tree, Ivy and Jano watched him as his instructors. Not too far ahead, a zombie chicken floated spaciously over the waters of the Marshes of Awakening.

"It's for protection, knucklehead! How are you going to defend yourself if you can't even knock out a mere zombie chicken?" Ivy called back. For six months, Ivy and Davis had trained under the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dream's watchful eye. While Ivy learned master tricks like focusing the Tamer's Light in projectile weapons and breaking out of a spellbound, Davis was beginning to learn to use his inherited powers as well. So far, he knew how to break and create spell-bindings. Now, he had to learn how to defend himself in combat. A docile zombie chicken would be easy to tackle with a slingshot and a wooden dagger.

"Why would I need to? Morphina isn't coming back!" He dodged to the left as the undead creature made a snapping action towards him. He quickly brought the creature down with several stones and slices with his wooden dagger, but he still wasn't satisfied. "Why can't we get out of this swamp and see the world like the rest of our friends?"

"Simple. Dad can't run the house by himself and we need to train in case of another attack!" Ivy exclaimed. "Another attack? From who? We all know that Morphina is dead, and that she was the strongest demon. How could anyone else gain enough nerve to escape the Cave of Bad Dreams with a zombie-tamer still alive?" By now, Davis had pulled himself from the marsh water and was standing on dry land again. He casually wrung out his wet sleeves and pants. Ivy opened her mouth to argue, but she heard Jano say. "Don't even try. It wouldn't do anything to change his mind anyway."

Davis placed his training weapons down in front of his older peers. He sat down beside Ivy and stared into the surroundings. He saw nothing but clouded skies obscured by large gnarled trees. In the far-off distance, they could see the lights of a large swamp-bound household; one that they never bothered to visit. "I miss all our friends, but we can't leave. Why can't we have any freedom these days?" Ivy turned to her brother, eyes reflecting the torch's fire around her. After a few minutes of silence, she shrugged and said exactly what was on her mind.   
  
"Fate. It bound us to our deeds like how Morphina binds the souls of innocents to her whim. We cannot fight it; we can only go with the flow of time. Soon, it will allow us to exit this swamp and see the world together! Wouldn't that be great, Davis?" Davis's eyes met with hers, and a hidden fire burned within Davis's emerald eyes.

"Yes, and when that happens, we'll be ready!" Little did they know, that time will come for them very soon...  
  
~*~  
  
Rain fell on the Menhir Hills. Lightning illuminated the skies and thunder boomed in the distance. A single deer ran aimlessly through the rainfall, desperately looking for a place to dry off. It found the shade of a lonely willow, small finger-like branches brushing the small stream churning by its large roots. The red-furred deer tiptoed slowly into the shade and bent down to get a drink. Some bushes near the stream's mouth shook slightly. The deer lifted its head for a moment, but soon bent down again to drink the fresh water. Twang! There was a flash of silver and the deer fell to its side, an arrow sticking out of its neck. Suddenly, the bushes came alive as three hunters came rushing to the carrion; a human archer, a frog, and a ferret. The midnight black frog poked the deer momentarily with his long scythe.

"Great shot, Keri! You actually killed a full-grown deer with only one arrow!" The human archer, a tall lithe woman with a bright green hunter's tunic, bent down to inspect the kill. "It wasn't full-grown, Pondscum. It would've reached maturity in about four months."

The ferret, a long sinewy creature with pale brown fur, shook his head. "Who cares what it is! We be having venison tonight!" Pondscum corrected him. "You mean that Morphina's having venison tonight, Ruby-eyes. We all know that Morphina will only share such prime meat with her most trusted Commanders. Unfortunately, that singles us out." The three hunters stood in rejected silence. Finally, Ruby-eyes tried a suggestion. "Couldn't we eat it here? We would say that we failed the hunt-" "-causing Morphina to lose her temper, turning us into bloody pulps. You know better, Ruby. Use that large squishy thing between your ears once in a while!" Keri shot back. She looked down at the deer. "Might as well go back to the camp." 

The three hunters soon helped carry the dead deer out of the rain and towards the camp. Morphina's camp was under a large group of willows that were growing near the edge of a cliff. Not only did the trees keep both Commanders and slaves dry, but they were also parted evenly so that they could start small fires under the branches. Pondscum, Keri, and Ruby-eyes dropped the carrion in front of a campfire. Several others stared at them in awe at the perfection of the meat. (Most meals were often ripped to shreds by careless swordsmen) Suddenly, Morphina in the familiar shape of a human dressed in purple mage's clothing stepped towards the campfire.

"For once, I've proud of you, Pondscum. However, this fine piece of venison does not relieve you of your past mistakes!" The frog flinched at the harsh biting tone to her voice. Morphina was not someone to cross anymore, for the loss against Ivy and her friends changed her rules completely. Instead of eating from a storage of food, Commanders had to hunt for their meals. Unsuccessful hunters often starved until Morphina gave up and spell-bonded them. Now, instead of letting mistakes pass, she would let anyone suffer from his or her misfortunes by doing something cruel. Toes and fingers would be removed and sometimes the poor creature was placed in the body of something weak like a slug or a zombie chicken. However, not all of the changes had been bad for the army. When a gray fox corsair named Striker signed up to the army, he also gave her his entire fleet of pirates and slaves. The army grew rapidly at that point, and Striker was quickly promoted to second-in-command. Despite this win, older Commanders didn't trust the new recruits because of their sneaky nature.

Striker sat by the fire next to Morphina, amber eyes glowing from the fire's embers. "Why are we in Menhir Hills, Morphina? Didn't you say that the Cave of Bad Dreams be in the Marshes of Awakening?" Morphina turned to him, her intense eyes boring holes into his soul. "Simple. We're going to use the old hit-and-run tactic. See those lights in the distance?" She lifted some willow branches to reveal the almost flat landscape. "In the far-off distance, there is a fort that has been standing since the Antitoon attack those many years ago. Inside those walls, they keep a demon in there; the last of his kind. He was among the only demons that were locked in a stronghold unlike the Cave of Bad Dreams."  
  
"Why do we need another demon? We already have you." A faun replied as he ate some beef jerky. Morphina quickly hit him hard with the back of her hand. "Don't you see numbskull? Ivy Thorn was able to defeat one demon by herself, but can she defeat two at the same time? The demon's name is Bane, and fortunately he's perfected to living in the swamp regions. We attack the fort, rescue Bane, then we destroy everything and everyone inside the fort. Understand?" Striker and several Commanders listening nodded. "What happens after that?" Striker questioned. Morphina turned her head to gaze at him. "I'm not revealing that part of the plan, but let's just say that I already planned the perfect place for us to stay during the siege of the Cave of Bad Dreams."

She stood up; a forbidding figure that all but revealed the danger of her true might. By now, every Commander eating gave up their attention to her. She smiled, her teeth glistening unnaturally in the fire's light. "Ivy won't stand a chance now!"

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The city of Bluddweik was a peaceful and fruitful city, unlike the dirty and poor streets of Morva. It stood at the edge of the Menhir Hills, a beautiful symbol of the world's longest surviving beauty. Even in the rain, the city had a sense of peace. People of different races bought trinkets from various shops, and most of them tried the unique orange and lemon fruits of Bluddwiek. Despite the peace in Bluddwiek, the city was designed to blockade war. Gates surrounded the city and its fruit groves from all sides with reinforced steel that were pointed to prevent anyone from climbing into the city. However, the main gate was almost always open to the public, allowing travelers to come into the splendor of a city that survived attacks while other crumbled.

"Freya! Hurry it up with those meals! We can't have our customers starve!" The owner of the Bluddwiek boardinghouse called out to the preppy wolf-furry as she kept several fish burning on a fire-powered stove. With the grace of a seasoned cutthroat, Freya sliced and diced the fish until they were strips of cooked meat. She placed the fish strips in a basket and handed them to a waiter. Soon afterwards, a piece of paper with another order would be handed to her. "Well, at least being a cook is a step up from being a murderer." She sighed to herself.

She did her routine for another twenty minutes before another cook took her place. Freya cleaned the grease away from her beautiful fur. During her break, she sat by the counter where a friend of hers was still taking reservations for the boardinghouse. "Hey, Bad-er, I mean Balthazar Ringsider. How's your job holding up?" The two ex-Commanders both got different jobs under the same boardinghouse. The Bluddweik boardinghouse was the busiest attraction in the city, and there were a lot of jobs to uphold. Freya blended in easily, but her partner Bad-Rayman had to pass off as a leper named Balthazar Ringsider hiding his sore-covered body with a cloak. The owner soon accepted, just as long as he kept his hands bandaged. So far, the disguise worked perfectly.

"As boring as the day before. We need more challenging jobs than grilling fish and taking up reservations." Freya chuckled as she stuffed an orange slice in her mouth. "Like what? I know! You want to be a butcher! You could easily take the job; cutting the heads off of chickens, draining the blood of pigs, slicing cows to ribbons, and removing deer spleens for the rest of the city to eat. Yep, seems like it would fit you perfectly!" A pair of people in front left clutching their stomachs thanks to Freya's 'delightful' comment. Luckily, the next two people in line seemed vaguely familiar...

"Freya? Bad-Rayman? What are you two doing here?" Lo and behold, Rex Skyler and Donnia Starhunter had arrived in Bluddweik during their long travels and, as if by Fate himself, turned up at their old friends' new jobs. Freya smiled; showing a row of teeth caked with orange fibers. "We're enjoying ourselves just fine! I learned how to cook like a pro and Balthazar here learned how to show people to their rooms." Bad-Rayman rolled his eyes at this comment. "Sorry. It's just that it's been peaceful for too long around here. I yearn for another fight against an opponent worthy enough to take on me." Donnia laughed at "Baltazar's" little speech.

"You sound like The Sniper with that tone of voice! Speaking of which, have you ever met him? He's this strange man who likes to shoot anything that enters his-" A large fist banging on the counter cut off the rest of Donnia's speech. "You can hold a conversation on your break, Balthazar! Other people need to get a room too, you know!" Quickly, Bad-Rayman handed Donnia and Rex a key to their room for the night in a monotonous movement. The two travelers skipped towards their boardinghouse room and were gone.

Freya sat there chewing on another piece of orange as Bad-Rayman served the customers. "You know Baltazar. You're right. This city is too peaceful for the likes of us. It's almost as if I want Morphina to come back." She stuffed the orange piece in her mouth, blissfully unaware of the dangers that lay ahead.

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End of Chapter 1

In case you didn't know, The Sniper Donnia mentioned is also known as Count Razoff. (Look at any Rayman site; they're sure to have screenshots of him.) As with any fanfiction, the action isn't going to start until the second chapter.

This goes to show how much I could make as soon as I got Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. :) Expect the next chapter really soon!

Read and Review! 


	2. Danger Arrives

Concealment of Evil: Danger Arrives  
  
Author's Notes: Whoa. I never thought that I'd get so much inspiration at a given time. I feel like I'm having the opposite of a writer's block. Oo; (Murphy: Looks like someone been eating paint chips again!) Don't question motivation when you run into it!  
  
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By the afternoon, the heavy morning rains have ceased, revealing warm sunlight and cloudy skies. However, no one in Menhir Hills bothered to notice the beauty as they approached the large fort that guarded Morphina's secret weapon; Bane, the demon who had to be locked in a separate dungeon away from the Cave of Bad Dreams. The large army of Commanders and slaves stood, still dripping wet from the quick summer rains but otherwise okay. As Morphina urged the large legion on a frightened follower of Striker came running up to her.  
  
"Your Majesty, Striker is nowhere to be seen!" The corsair human shouted. Morphina didn't even bother to turn around. "He's not here at the moment; I sent him along with some chosen Commanders and horses to meet an old 'friend' of his in Bluddwiek." The pirate, a large tough male with scars running down his face, looked very surprised.  
  
"Old friend? Who?" Morphina led the army on; she was getting a little testy of people questioning her authority. "Okay, my dimwitted friend. I'll only explain this. When Striker had signed up for me, he mentioned a Lord Wyrm somewhere during the promotions. What a lucky break for me; Freya was spawned from the same slave driver that Striker had escaped so many years ago. I ordered him to bring back Agent B.R. He can do anything he wants with Freya, but Agent B.R. must be brought back to me alive. I'm sure that softhearted fool will surely oblige after Striker slices and dices Freya into ribbons!"  
  
No one bothered to talk to Morphina about anything beyond the repeating of complicated instructions. She was positive that this siege will work; just like all the other attacks before. Bane will soon be in her control.  
  
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"Ha ha. So this is where Freya works..." Striker the silver fox dismounted his black stallion with a solid movement of his lithe body. Unlike Freya, his body was covered in battle scars, including a hideous scar that replaced his right eye. He pulled out his most prized weapon out of his holster; a large battle-axe with a sturdy wooden hilt stained with blood. He swung it around in the air to test it off and smiled, sharp canines glinting in the afternoon sun. "What do we do, Sir Striker?" Sure enough, Morphina ordered Striker to bring her most worthless Commanders with him; Pondscum the failure and his partner Keri. The two Commanders stood, surveying the boardinghouse that a messenger described to them.  
  
"You come in with me. Two 'well-bodied' creatures like yourselves could help defend me." The two failures quickly filed beside Striker, guarding his left and right sides. Perfect; in case of a hidden ambush the two weakest links will be riddled full of arrows. Not best to take chances. They walked into the boardinghouse without some much as a second word between them. At that time, Freya had returned to her post and was once again serving people. Bad-Rayman sat at the counter, spending his daily salary by pleasuring himself with ale. Striker recognized him, the description fitting perfectly. He swung his axe down into the counter just inches from Bad-Rayman's right hand, burying it into the crafted wood.  
  
"You'll have to pay for that, fox." Bad-Rayman said emotionlessly as he downed his glass of ale.  
  
"Don't play games with me! Where's the wolf, Agent B.R.?" Striker hissed. The boardinghouse became deathly silent. Bad-Rayman eyed both the axe and his owner, knowing that only Morphina's Commanders still recognized his old false name. Geez, either Morphina is back or her thugs have formed some kind of gang to take revenge, he thought. He pointed towards the kitchen; inwardly knowing that Freya was well seasoned for these kinds of situations. Immediately, Striker hurried into the kitchen and escorted Freya out of the middle of preparing a chicken meal; she still clutched a butcher knife. "Ah, so this is how much ten years have done to us since the last time we saw each other. I am a bloodthirsty killer, and you are a chef for a tourist's boardinghouse." He pulled his axe out of the wood with one strong pull. "You make me sick, mongrel."  
  
Freya put away the butcher knife and whistled a shrill note. The call seemed to vibrate off the quiet wooden walls. Suddenly, Donnia and Rex ran out of their reserved room and came to her aide, weapons at hand. Just like they arranged; when Donnia and Rex received their rooms they secretly made a pact that they will arrive armed in case of a fight. Rex passed Freya her old hunting dagger, still clean even when she hadn't used it in six months. The four fighters all stood poised and ready for battle. Striker laughed heartily at this.  
  
"Pondscum, do you see that? The puppy-dog made some friends along the way!" His tone changed from light to serious. "Listen, you runaways! This is a duel is between Freya and me. You even try to help her in any way and Keri will finish the match with a well-placed arrow." Keri demonstrated by throwing an orange into the air and shooting it three times before it fell to the ground with a squish. "We will fight outside this very boardinghouse; I can't afford to pay for the damages." He said the last part with a sneer, obviously a threat directed towards Bad-Rayman. "I hope you said goodbye to your odd group of friends, because I'm not going to spare even a long-lost friend."  
  
The gray fox left the boardinghouse; Keri and Pondscum close behind. Freya walked after him, her face sullen and expressionless. Her friends followed after her. Outside was no different; the civilians cleared the way for the fighters, duels being common in Bluddwiek to settle arguments. The two fighters made the duel official by shaking hands then backing up from each other ten steps. Finally, Striker turned to face Freya; wolf against fox. Striker raised his axe in a dramatic arch until it was raised high above his head. The sun made it glitter like a beautiful trinket. Freya immediately felt fear strike her heart like a knife, but kept it concealed with a mask of confidence and determination. Striker fought to the death all his life, and she hasn't used her dagger for killing others ever since she entered Bluddwiek. "This will teach you not to mess with Morphina!" Striker shouted.  
  
The battle was on! Freya sidestepped the quick axe swipe from Striker. While Striker threw axe after axe attacks at her, she dodged and jumped with the swiftness of a prowling cat. The first blood was shed when Striker did an uppercut as she tried to attack his exposed stomach. She managed to roll out of the way but the tip of the axe's blade sliced her right leg, creating a large deep gash running from her knee to her foot. Freya flinched but didn't lose her grace as her wound poured life-giving blood onto the pavement. She leapt onto a street lamp, balancing all her weight on her good leg. "You were always such the sore loser, Striker!"  
  
"That may be true, but you were always such the weakling, mongrel!" Striker jumped after her, axe raised high above his head. Freya dodged and actually got a hit in by creating a long dagger wound against Striker's unprotected side. On the ground, the crowd had a hard time following the combatants; their fighting mostly involved jumping from building to building. Everyone involved in the fight, including Donnia, Rex, and Bad-Rayman, had to race through the town as the two skilled jumpers brought the fight to the tops of the buildings. The battle lasted exactly ten minutes; by that time, both fighters were at the very edge of the town. They both crouched, catching their breath and ready for the other to make their move. Striker moved first, charging towards Freya in a lightning-fast pace. Freya also attacked, blocking Striker's attack with a charge of her own. The two canines were locked hand-by-hand, weapons clattering unused by their feet. Each one tried to push the other one off the building. Striker tried to take advantage of Freya by insulting her.  
  
"You make me sick, mongrel. You were always the wussiest child in Lord Wyrm's manor. A real hunter would've made the others respect him, but you made friends with the fellow slaves. What's the point of friendship if you have power at your side? You're completely worthless!" Freya's eyes met Striker's, both fighters having intense amber eyes.  
  
"You know what, Striker? You may have the power, but what's the use if you don't have anybody that respects you as a friend? You're no better than Mister Dark, Razorbeard, or Morphina." Freya shot back. Unbeknownst to Striker, Freya was gradually pushing Striker off the edge of the large building. Striker may have been a corsair, but Freya had lived an abused life. She smiled at him, a cruel smile that would always come after a sick joke.  
  
"One more thing. Don't call me mongrel again!" Freya gave a final hefty push and Striker lost his footing. The gray fox plunged from the building, only to break his fall with the town's border fence. However, since the fence had pointed ends...  
  
Freya jumped down from the building and greeted the cheering crowd. She gave a final look at the corpse of her long-lost friend, then ignored it as soldiers removed it. Instantly after she met the ground, she rushed towards Pondscum and Keri. She picked up Pondscum with both hands, strangling the frog.  
  
"Okay, filter feeder! Talk!" Pondscum whimpered as he felt Donnia's sword brush his back. Instantly, he shouted out everything he knew. (Which wasn't much, sadly.) "Ack! Morphina sent us to come with Striker! She wanted Agent B.R. to be back so she could spellbind him! We were just distractions for you two because she led an attack on Menhir Fort! Just don't kill me; I'll be good! Honest!" Freya dropped the pathetic crying figure. Her face was grim. "An attack on Menhir Fort! We have to go!"  
  
She ran towards the main gate, but she couldn't move thanks to Bad-Rayman pulling her tail. "We're not going anywhere, Freya. What good will it do if you went running over there? Look at yourself; you got into a fight with one Commander and you're covering in wounds and bruises. Imagine an army of fighters of *his* talent, all led by Morphina?" He pointed towards the body of Striker, a twisted horror with shock and terror still frozen in his lifeless eyes. "You'd be crushed like a bug before you could even unsheathe your dagger. The only chance we'll have is if we bring Ivy Thorn back from the Marshes of Awakening!"  
  
Freya shot a pleading glance towards Bad-Rayman. "But what about the fort? It'll take forever to go the Marshes and back before Morphina destroys the fort." Rex Skyler placed a solid hand on her shoulder. "It's too late now; Morphina can destroy entire countries, and a fort will be a piece of cake for her. The least we could do is head for the Marshes of Awakening, get Ivy, and follow Morphina's tracks." The wolf-furry looked defeated, but she nodded. "You're right. We'll use both Morphina's horses and some Bluddwiek horses. Pondscum and Keri can do our jobs until we get back. Isn't that right?" Neither of the exiled Commanders made an effort to answer as they stood awkwardly at spear-point.  
  
The decision was settled then. Donnia, Rex, Bad-Rayman, and Freya all rode out towards the Marshes of Awakening, riding on horseback. Meanwhile, Pondscum and Keri would get their first lessons of being on the good side; cooking and serving orders. Horseback will get them to the Marshes before nightfall.  
  
Let's just hope they aren't too late...  
  
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The sun was still high in the sky when the four horse-bound warriors arrived in the Marshes of Awakening, now a swampy haven covered in mist caused by the rain. Fortunately, Menhir Hills was not filled with any obscuring obstacles as the horses sprinted through the wilderness. There was not another moment to spare; the horses were quickly bound to a sturdy tree as the environment became too slippery to ride through. Freya, Donnia, Rex, and Bad-Rayman raced through the marshes at the fastest speed possible towards the Entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams. Reeds were brushed aside, sinkholes were avoided, and shortcuts were used as they all stumbled across the marshes. The mist made their sight very limited, but seasoned trackers like themselves knew where the Cave of Bad Dreams was. Sure enough, the entrance suddenly appeared out of the swamp mist just before they ran out of breath. Ivy, just finishing the final training course for the day, ran up to the four friends she hasn't seen since the War of the Souls.  
  
"Wow! I didn't see you four for a while! What's going on?" Ivy exclaimed as the four tired companions caught their breath. Davis stood by his sister silently, almost bursting with joy in seeing old acquaintances. Rex was the first to catch his breath. "Ivy, we need you to come with us to Menhir Hills! Morphina has returned and she's attacking Menhir Fort!" The look on the Thorn siblings' faces was priceless.  
  
"Morphina? But, she's dead!" Davis pressed. Ivy was about to say the same thing, but then again, she knew that the four friends that sat wheezing before her wouldn't run for their lives just to ask her to attend a birthday party. Immediately, she ran to get her gear necessary for tracking through dangerous lands, a gift given by both her teacher Jano and her father Pierce. As she prepared herself for the journey, Davis tried to talk his way into this trip. "Ivy, this is the chance you mentioned earlier, the chance we've been waiting for! We can see the world beyond the marshes! Can you take me too?" Davis pleaded. Instantly, Ivy brushed him off.  
  
"I'm sorry, Davis. If Morphina's involved, then this journey can be dangerous to everyone who comes with me, and I can't afford to lose you like I lost Mom. Besides, what if she heads back here to take revenge on the Cave of Bad Dreams? We need at least one zombie-tamer here guarding the entrance from any demon attacks!" She slipped on her leather boots, designed for romping through dangerous lands. Davis was appalled. "Why me? Jano's capable of taking care of himself! Let me go, please!" Ivy found her weapons beside a tree, and slipped them into their holsters; a dagger, a slingshot, and a bow. Freya or Donnia could provide the arrows.  
  
"Listen to your sister, Davis. We wouldn't want to have to drag any extra weight." Bad-Rayman replied as he rested. "What? I can take care of myself just as well as any of you can!" Davis shouted. "Davis, you don't even know how to cast the Tamer's Light yet. How are you going to defend yourself against a demon like Morphina?" Ivy answered as she added the finishing touches to her gear. When Ivy was finished dressing in battle-gear, the resting group rose from their sitting positions to lead her to their mounts. Before Davis could shout out another comeback, the five heroes swiftly disappeared into the mist.  
  
Davis didn't want to be left behind at his one chance of seeing the world. Disgruntled, he quickly grabbed the dagger he received for his birthday last week and ran after them. However, since Davis didn't know exactly which direction they chose...  
  
It wasn't long before Davis became completely lost within the swamplands.  
  
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Now with Ivy in tow, the five heroes rode off towards the Menhir Fort, where they will most likely find Morphina and her thugs. Or, what was left of the fight. Ivy was at first phased at the intensity of the sun's rays compared to the subtle lighting in the swamplands, but soon her sensitive eyes became used to the new lighting. She held on to the horse in silence, absorbing the splendor of the world beyond the murky swamps she called home. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. However, this sense of peace changed as Donnia, Rex, Bad-Rayman, and Freya led the horses towards Menhir Fort. They were appalled at what they saw.  
  
The five heroes stared dumbstruck at the damaged land that was surrounded by the beautiful lands of Menhir Hills. The ground was barren and scorched to a dark brown. The blackened remains of trees were twisted and broken in awkward angles, as if a giant hand had squeezed the very life from their branches. Ivy Thorn looked closer at the lands, and realized that the ground wasn't barren, but covered in the bodies of fallen soldiers and beasts of burden that had died from the same thing that turned the grasslands into a poisoned wasteland. What could've done all of this? Morphina would've been at least crippled from the conflict they had together! Immediately, Ivy and her four battle-ready friends dismounted their obedient horses and ran down the slope to search for any clues of the cause of all this death.  
  
When the came closer to the battlefields, they saw that the ground was bubbling unnaturally like boiling water in certain spots. The air that hung above the death trap had a biting acid smell to it; the same smell that Ivy encountered when Morphina spat venom at her during her final stand. " Demon spew...There were demons here, Ivy." Rex Skyler said seriously. Demons? Morphina was dead, right? Ivy suddenly realized that her thoughts were empty false hopes. Ivy shook away her thoughts as she examined a fallen tree. " I can see that, but the question is that what caused all of this..." She swept her hand towards the horizon, indicating the damage.  
  
"Hey! There's someone breathing over here!" The group heard Donnia cry in the midst of the damage. They all raced over to see her discovery, and nearly lost all hope when they saw what happened to Donnia's survivor. It was a man, covered with chain mail from head to toe to protect him from attacks. However, a large smoking hole in the middle of the man's chest indicated where he was mortally wounded. Blood bubbling unnaturally from the mix of demon venom poured out of the mortal wound. Ivy heard her friends gasp as she saw the Bluddwiek Badge of Honor shine right above where the man had been attacked. Donnia kept his head steady as the others gingerly lay the man on his side. "What happened here?" The man gasped, blood trickling from his mouth. "A snakebeast....we had thousands battling it...so many deaths...oh please let me die...." Donnia shook the man gently, pressing him on.  
  
"Tell us what this thing did to you!?! Please don't die now!" The man gasped, and then hoarsely replied to the group. " ...it sprayed venom...killed everything in sight...I was hit in the chest and-" The warrior shuddered and lay still, his head becoming limp in Donnia's hand. Rex shook his head. "There's nothing we can do for him anymore. At least he told us what it was..." The group gazed out towards the horizon, surrounded by the wreck that was once a serene land full of peace. Everyone knew what it meant, what the man was telling them.  
  
Morphina has returned, and their stand against her may be their last. "This looks bad..." Bad-Rayman's voice ran across the silent barren wasteland, his first words since the Marshes of Awakening. Thorn nodded, but she couldn't reply. She found that at the sight of the dying soldier it became very hard to talk. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a choked sob. I never saw so many dead people before, Ivy thought. I never knew that Morphina could do so much damage...  
  
"Oh no...Look at the fort..." Ivy turned her head, and realized the voice belonged to Freya. She was standing a good distance away from the rest of the group; obviously searching the damage as the others confronted the dying soldier. She stood right in the middle of an outline of fallen rocks, the ruins of a once tall stone fortress. The group of friends had to scramble above the rubble to get to where Freya was standing. She held in her hands tendrils of long chains, each one glittering different colors with contained magic. Ivy lightly touched the chains with one finger, and jerked it back when the magic shocked her. " It's the same magic that spellbinds creatures against their will. Morphina doesn't know how to break a spellbinding; she can only create them."  
  
"Remember what Globox said about what happened to Davis when he was spellbound and was hit by a Silver Lum?" Rex recalled. "Morphina could've used a bunch of Silver Lums to shatter the magic of these chains." Freya shook her head in disbelief. "But, only Rayman-" Freya soon cut herself off, knowing that it didn't matter anyways. All that mattered was that the chains were the same that once restrained Bane, a strong demon that could very well be as strong as Morphina. Now, Bane was free and following Morphina in her march of death.  
  
With Bane by her side, Morphina was virtually unstoppable.  
  
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"Hello? Anybody there?" Davis Thorn cried hopelessly threw the mist. He couldn't recognize the swamps he was currently walking through. The cold bit at his bones like a serpent waiting for him to breathe his final breath. He held out his hands for support; he hoped that it wouldn't be long before he felt the warm touch of his house or maybe even the gnarled roots that guarded the Entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams. He bumped into something, but he realized it was only a tree. He threw his hands up in desperation.  
  
"Great. I'm lost in the same place I've been living in all my life. Why do I have to be so ignorant?" As he sat in a middle of a mud puddle, brooding heavily, the mist began to clear. Suddenly, a dark shape appeared in the mist. "Hey, a house! I'm home again!" Sadly, the house was too big to be considered Davis's house. As the mist cleared, the house revealed itself to be a grand mansion right in the middle of the marshes. Lights were shining through giant glass windows, meaning that somebody was home. Without bothering himself to examine the house any further, Davis ran into the house like a stranded islander that just found an oasis.  
  
As he crossed the threshold of the house, Davis realized that the house was too quiet for comfort. To calm his nerves, he unsheathed his dagger as he searched the walls for any life. The manor was filled with grand paintings and statues, but instead of portraying scenes and famous figures they were all designed after the same guy. Davis felt a shiver run up his spine, he had a bad feeling about this. He approached the grand staircase that greeted the entrance, hoping to find the owner of the manor upstairs. Click! Davis turned his head to the source of the sound. He immediately felt his courage drain from him.  
  
"What are you doing in my house, you little sneak?" The same guy who was in the paintings and was crafted in the statues stood in a hallway, pointing a powerful shotgun right at Davis's head. It was a tall and lithe creature that was humanoid in shape but surely wasn't a human. He had lime-green skin that seemed to glow under the bright lights of his manor. His fancy hunting clothes and hat were bright red in color and reminded Davis of blood. His accented voice was strangely high-pitched but it didn't matter to Davis. He swallowed, trying to get rid of his dry mouth. He had unknowingly entered the lair of Count Razoff the hunter. Davis also knew that shotguns weren't commonly used by zombie-tamers, being very hard to cast the Tamer's Light on them so they could rightfully puncture a demon. Davis tried to reason with the sharpshooter.  
  
"I lost my way in the mist. I was wondering if I could say for a little while, so I can return to my home later." Davis replied. Count Razoff didn't buy it. "Yeah right. If I let you stay here under my hospitality, you'd slit my throat when my guard is down and steal this mansion for yourself. I know exactly how your mind works, thief." Davis felt his blood turn to ice. It was one thing to be trapped in the same house as a skilled sharpshooter, it was another to have the skilled sharpshooter believe that you were here to steal his belongings.  
  
Davis flinched, not knowing what else to do. Quickly, he ran for the exit. Davis didn't reach the door. He fell to the ground, a dart filled with tranquilizer sticking out of his neck. Without a second thought, Count Razoff lifted Davis and flung him across his shoulder like one would carry a sack of potatoes.  
  
"If you want hospitality, you'll get hospitality. How does a sleepover in the catacombs sound?" Completely unaware, Davis slept peacefully under the effects of the drug. He had now become a captive of Count Razoff, all because he had shown an act of disobedience against Ivy and her friends.  
  
Davis's future looked very bleak.  
  
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End of Chapter 2  
  
I bet you are all wondering where Rayman and his friends went. Believe me, Chapter three will reveal what happened to Rayman, but it won't be delightful. ;)  
  
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is amazing! It turns out that the rumors of Rayman turning into a frog were true, but it only happened during one mini-boss battle involving a witch and her magic brew. Sadly, Ly the fairy was missing in action. The cutscenes were very funny, and the voices fit the characters perfectly.  
  
Review! It's the least you could do after I used up my free time typing this chapter up! 


	3. Plots Revealed

Plots Revealed  
  
Author's Notes: Rayman isn't missing in action on accident, you know. :p Concealment of Evil may be changed from PG to PG13 if it gets any more violent.  
  
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The sun had finally set into the horizon, changing the atmosphere from bright red to black. Ivy and her friends sat in a small ring around their campfire, too tired from endlessly following Morphina's damage to even care about raiders. Behind them, the ruins of Menhir Fort sat a long distance away, but its very presence seemed to drag everybody who witnessed it into a feeling of remorse and regret. Even their horses didn't have the spirit anymore; they stood silently at their post by a tall tree, liquid brown eyes watching the scene with indifference.  
  
Ivy stared into the sky, gazing at the stars. Next to her feet sat her dinner of wild game, untouched. Her friends were sitting in silence, not bothering to strike up a conversation. Even Freya, usually the first to get over something, poked at the fire with a large fallen branch. Finally, Ivy broke the silence. "Why wasn't Bane locked into the Cave of Bad Dreams with the rest of the demons? I thought the Cave was created to make sure no demons could escape..." Ivy's question went unanswered for quite a while; the other four sitting with their hearts weighed with the persisting bite of lost hope. Finally, Donnia spoke up.  
  
"It's really hard to explain, Ivy. Me and Drac-" Donnia indicated Rex finishing off his dinner. "-Have heard plenty of stories about 'The Last True Sea Monster'." Ivy sat up immediately, grief momentarily forgotten. "Bane's a sea demon? Why was he in the middle of Menhir Hills then?" Donnia nodded, her blue hair falling in delicate locks onto her shoulders. "From what I heard, Bane is called the last of his kind because he was the leader of a small group of demons the same species as he. They were the most feared of the ocean; for eons ships and swimming creatures couldn't make it across the ocean safely with them around. Bane and his pack would literally rip a haul of a great ship to shreds in less than a minute and catch anything edible in their large gaping mouths. Now you know why even Razorbeard himself didn't venture farther than the Great Bay."  
  
"Despite the rumors of remaining sea demons still living off the coasts, Bane was really the last of his kind. Many years ago, the Fairy Council themselves placed a price on Bane's pack. If you brought a sea demon's head back as proof, you became richer than your wildest dreams with fairy money. The pact started a great demon hunt; demon slayers, including several of the zombie-tamers like your mother Ivy, raced to the sea and stained the coasts with the tainted blood of the sea demons. However, Bane was not only the leader of his group but the strongest as well. One day he dragged himself onto the coast and battled against a large legion of demon-slayers that have gathered there. Finally, the battle ended when a group of the world's most powerful fairy creatures, Ly and Betilla included, brought Bane down with the power of the zombie-tamer's spellbinding. He was not to be slain, but instead live with his heavy conscience as far away from the sea as possible. Bane was dragged to the landlocked lands of the Menhir Hills, and they quickly built a new tower in Menhir Fort especially designed to keep Bane sealed. He slumbered with a heavy heart under enchanted chains, the same chains we found earlier. It worked really well, that is, until today."  
  
"The strange thing is, Morphina never bothered herself with Bane's presence. She always ranted on and on about how much stronger she was without 'that slimy excuse for a sea dragon' bugging her. Why did she change her mind?" Bad-Rayman reflected. "She didn't change her mind; she's just luring Bane into a false sense of security before she spellbinds him like the rest of her cronies. Like she did with us." Freya pressed. She was fiddling with the bandages around her injured leg, an aching remainder about Striker, and applied more healing herbs to her deep cut. Ivy nodded in agreement, and went back to staring at the stars. Soon, the team will decide who will be the one standing guard. I'll stand guard first; I can't sleep anyways, Ivy decided to herself.  
  
The rest of the night passed uneventfully, until Ivy switched shifts with Donnia Starhunter. Ivy settled into a deep sleep, her thoughts mixing together to form a cloud of confusion and regret. "Missed me, Ivy?" a familiar voice asked. Ivy stirred and felt herself being carried along a stream of grayish mush through her dreams. Ivy tried to move her muscles again, but she found that they were paralyzed. Suddenly, she felt herself being dragged from the darkness and into a bright-lighted area. She heard the sound of singing, a light-hearted tune to a song that Ivy could all but remember. Then, the words became recognizable. "Sleep lightly child, no nightmares will harm you. I will protect you, to the end of time..." The words were at a slow and graceful pace. Ivy finally became aware that the song was the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she went to sleep. "Mother?" Ivy called out. The song continued as if the singer hadn't heard her. "Don't fret my baby, there's no need for your fear. Sleep well and tight, Dreamland is near."  
  
A figure materialized out of the white light. Ivy nearly shrieked in glee. Rosemary, Ivy's mother, stood in front of her, her delicate red hair falling in long graceful locks around her shoulders unlike Ivy's stiff wiry hair. She wore a white robe, covering all of her body save for her arms and her dainty feet. She stepped towards her, a wraith from the days before Morphina and worries. "Ivy," Rosemary's voice was the same as the singer, and Ivy became aware that she was the one singing. "I want you to keep all of your hope with you. For a while, you've doubted your path as you follow Morphina's walk of destruction." Ivy shivered under her mother's piercing gaze. She couldn't tell whether this was a message from an angel, or a telepathic vision sent by Morphina to goad her on to her death.  
  
"I can't mother." Ivy choked out. "I'm afraid that I'll fail the Cave of Bad Dreams, like I failed Menhir Fort. I wish Rayman was here to help..." Rosemary laughed, a silky sound that Ivy immediately felt comforted by. "You won't fail. Fate has been kind to you, my child. I'm sure that the Guardian has taught you well, yes?" Ivy nodded, not bothering to talk anymore. She was just happy to see her mother again, even if it would probably be the final time. "Never fear, Ivy. The Tamer's Light will guide you, and help you vanquish both Bane and Morphina. However, since you're worried for Rayman's safety, there is something I have to show you before you can continue your quest."  
  
Suddenly, Ivy felt herself being dragged away from Rosemary, away from the light. Her surroundings changed from colorful and bright to dark and bleak. As she stood suspended in darkness, she was greeting with the most horrendous flashback she will ever experience. It was Menhir Fort, and it was under attack. Soldiers and Commanders met at sword-length, and walls crumbled under the firepower of the stronger spellbound creatures. Ivy turned her attention to where the majority of the soldiers were, and she saw Morphina in the middle of a large group, venom running down her twisted maw as she blasted soldiers head-on with demon spew. She was no longer the human shape she usually took, but her default form; a large scorpion/lizard creature that oozed with deadly poison. Ivy's stomach did a backflip as she saw whole groups of soldiers literally melt under the powerful venom of Morphina. Crunch! Morphina bit down on a soldier's head, leaving a bloody stump for a neck. She was obviously enjoying the taste of human blood once again as she chewed on the man's head, her fangs stained red. She turned her serpentine head, as if looking at Ivy herself, and grinned in satisfaction.  
  
Boom! The tallest tower, in the middle of the fort, started to crumble. Immediately, the air was filled with a deathening inhuman roar as a large dark shadow, obscured by the large cloud of dust shrouding it, rose from the ruins. There was a glint of light as the enchanted chains broke way under the power of Silver Lums. The scene stunned Ivy, but she saw something that made her hope melt away from her body. She saw Rayman and Globox run away from the falling ruins of the fort, their hands still sparkling from the use of the Silver Lums. Rayman's face was twisted into a delighted sneer as he watched the fort cave in on itself. Then, Ivy heard him shout to a nearby Commander. "Hold off the rest of them! No one but us will leave this place alive!" After that, Rayman proceeded to grab a sword from a soldier to impale anyone who happened near...  
  
"Noooo!" Ivy yelled. She couldn't believe it; she was hoping that Rayman would help her sooner or later. It turned out that he was the one that released Bane. The images faded away, but they were still vibrant in her mind afterwards as she was suspended in the depths of her mind, weeping with grief. Suddenly, she was brought back into reality by Freya's gentle shaking. Freya had a worried look on her face. Ivy rose into a sitting position, and realized she was covered in a cold sweat and that everyone in the camp was looking at her. To the East, the sky showed evidence that the sun was going to rise really soon. "You were screaming bloody murder. What was happening?" Freya asked. Ivy didn't answer. At the back of her eyes a hidden fire grew; she was now fueled by a newly kindled rage. "It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that we have to catch Morphina as soon as possible." She turned to where the fort once stood, the images still racing through her mind.  
  
"This time, we have nobody to back us up. If we fail now, all hope will be lost."  
  
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Morphina smiled to herself as she led the army through the depths of the swamplands; they had reached the border between Menhir Hills and the Marshes of Awakening many hours ago. It was now Dawn; the rising sun had marked the beginning of a new day. The army marched loyally behind her, slaves showing no fatigue at all and their Commanders staggering from the lack of sleep. No one bothered Morphina, knowing that her venomous nature could very well destroy anybody who questioned her. After a while, Morphina made the group halt in a grove of twisted swamp trees. Commanders panted and rested against tree trunks or rocks to catch at least some winks. In the Battle of Menhir Fort, Morphina's army suffered only twenty-four deaths; nineteen spellbound captives and five Commanders, Striker, Pondscum, and Keiri included in the numbers. Some creatures suffered minor wounds, the worst being painful sword or arrow cuts. All in all, Morphina's plan was going smoothly so far. Morphina paced in front of her resting legion, deciding her next move in the form of the young human body she normally took.  
  
"How much further Morphina?" a large booming voice that seemed to materialize from the ground rumbled behind her. She turned, her dark purple eyes reflecting unnaturally. "Don't be such a baby, Bane. Soon, we will proceed to our next step to the destruction of the Cave of Bad Dreams." Bane stepped towards Morphina, and nodded in agreement. Bane was a large sea dragon, about as tall as a small tree from the top of his shoulders. He growled softly, his throat rumbling from the insides of his long serpentine neck. Bane's head was lizard-like, with sharp teeth protruding from the top lip and the bottom lip like a carnivorous fish. From his forehead to the beginnings of his tail ran a large webbed ridge, the weapon he used to destroy ship hulls. His tail was like a large fish tail, only with sharp barbs sticking from the tips. Bane's front and back legs weren't too shabby either; their webbed claws were coated with demon poison. Unlike Morphina's true form, his skin wasn't toxic. The only thing that gave him the sense of longing was his scales; their once silvery shine was reduced to a dull gray. Also, around his neck and wrists were remainders of the chains that once contained him; cuffs that glimmered with weakened magic. Bane's eyes were bright green, but they were almost obscured completely by his large drooping eyelids. Bane still hasn't got over the headache that would follow after you broke out of a long spellbinding.  
  
"In fact, Bane. Our next hideout is right behind these trees." A confident voice replied from behind Bane. Sure enough, Rayman soon came into view, Globox tagging behind. Morphina grinned inwardly. What had happened was that she had found Rayman taking a nap in the Fairy Glade a few days ago. She snuck up from behind and attacked Rayman in her most powerful form. Rayman fought well, but soon afterwards Morphina took his free will away. She also decided to take Globox's free will because he happened to appear at the scene to check on Rayman. It only took a few seconds for Morphina to spellbind Globox's weak will. Now, thanks to her efforts, Morphina had the world's Guardian at her disposal. It won't take much effort to bind the rest of the world to her will with Rayman around, but right now Morphina had to bide her time with a pathetic sea dragon and her ignorant Commanders.  
  
Rayman brushed away some branches and looked into the distance. Bane and many curious Commanders looked as well, and some audible gasps ran throughout the army. "This is crazy!" "What is she thinking?" "We can't go in there!" "He'll blow us to Hellgates!" Many different exclamations filled the army. Even some spellbound slaves, included Globox, gained enough spirit to make some barely audible whimpers. Morphina sighed in annoyance. "What's wrong now, my trusted army?"  
  
Ruby-Eyes the ferret, the successor to Striker, answered the quickest. "Morphina, that's Razoff's Mansion! We can't go in there! We'll soon find our heads mounted above his fireplace and our skins placed on his floor if we cross his threshold!" Just as the Commanders have noticed, Morphina's next hideout was none other than Razoff's grand mansion; the same one that Davis unknowingly entered a day ago. The lights were now turned off; most likely as the Count was enjoying the calmness of dawn in the comfort of his soft feathery bed. Morphina sneered. "I know that, but can you imagine how much firepower is in there?" There was a pause as Commanders considered it. "Razoff may be the most powerful sharpshooter in the world, but he could never touch me with those pathetic bullets. If I were to gain control on his soul, I would have not only the world's guardian and his friend at my side, but the world's greatest sniper ever as well. Besides, it's been a long time since any one of you have slept in a decent house without having to feel bugs crawl up your spine."  
  
At Morphina's words, the army immediately gained enough courage to slink up towards the house. When Morphina led the army up to the house, she ordered everyone to wait for her as she 'made the biggest threat go away'. Cautiously, she went through the entrance with only Rayman at her side. (She knew that Rayman was among the only creatures that survived a meeting with Razoff). When Morphina gained control of the Mansion, she would give a signal from one of the large windows and the army would be allowed to go in without any fear. As Morphina and Rayman disappeared into the mansion, the army sat biding their time in the marshlands surrounding the house in deadening silence. They fidgeting in worry, even though every one of them was aware of how strong Morphina was. Even Bane the sea demon had trouble keeping still as he waited, Globox the frog taking a nap on his back.  
  
In the mansion, all was silent save for a couple of stray rodents scurrying across the ground. Rayman was commanded to wait near the stairs as Morphina slunk off alone. She didn't even bother to conceal herself as she crept down the halls, still wearing the skin of a supposedly harmless young woman. To show him my true power, I'll bide my time before his spellbinding. It's best to make my captives learn who their master really is, Morphina decided. It wasn't long before she ran right into the owner of the mansion with his gun pointed at her chest. "Well, I've been having a lot of bold visitors come in my house lately. What's your business here?" Morphina sneered at Razoff. Obviously, he doesn't know whom he's dealing with, Morphina thought. "I've come for what's going to be rightfully mine, Sniper. My army and I will be staying here for a couple of nights, whether you like it or not. Of course, even I can be polite when I take my business in a lovely estate such as yours." The Sniper seemed slightly disorientated; he had never seen a creature so confident in her actions when she was at gunpoint. He lowered his shotgun slightly.  
  
"What if I refuse this little offer of yours?" Morphina smiled, then snapped her fingers. On cue, Rayman went running to her aide, poised and ready to pick a fight. Suddenly, quicker than the eye could see, Morphina grabbed Razoff by his skinny neck and lifted him off the ground. "You listen well and you listen well, you rotten excuse for a lizard! In just a few days the whole world will bend under my power. I alone have more talents than you can even imagine, Count Razoff. In fact, I'll offer you a decent trade if you cooperate. You let me take this little mansion of yours to create my new hideout and you can be a Commander of the highest rank. Think about it, you can even control the great Rayman or his goofy friend Globox! What do you say?"  
  
Count Razoff glared at her despite his awkward position. "I may have lived in this mansion alone for quite a while, but I'm not ignorant of the world around me! I know exactly what you're going to do to me after I settle this little trade. Sooner or later, you're going to turn me into a mindless monster like what you did to Rayman. I'll have no part of it!" Morphina snarled; she did not like it when her victims saw through her plans of deceit. He's smarter than I realized, Morphina thought to herself. "You just made a poor mistake, Count Razoff. Now, you'll be powerless as I take over this shabby mansion without your word on it." She snapped her free fingers, calling Rayman closer. "Rayman, take this creature to the catacombs. We'll let him suffer for a little while in his own dungeon until I feel like spellbinding him!"  
  
As Rayman dragged the now powerless Razoff away, Morphina quickly gave the army the signal from a nearby window. It wasn't long before the army filled every hall in the mansion saves for the catacombs, along with the area outside. The army found resting places everywhere, making the mansion seem like a mob house. Morphina smiled to herself as she seated herself in a large velvet chair and watched the remaining members of the army set up camps around the household from a large stain glass window. Smiling to herself, she poured herself a glass of dark wine and toasted herself.  
  
Life was good!  
  
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"Urrrgh...my neck..." Davis stirred away from his short coma, waking up to the pounding of his sore temples. Desperately, he rubbed them with his fingers, only causing them to become even sorer. When his sight finally returned, he gathered his bearings. He was trapped in a large stony corridor filled with swamp refuse and moss. Chains and unused cages clinked softly in the gentle breeze let in by the large shafts overhead. When Davis gazed upwards into the shafts, he saw that above was where Rayman and Razoff had battled in a large arena filled with pitfalls and surrounded by a steel cage. Davis could even spot the large wrecking ball, fixed after the last fight with Rayman, as it swung unused above him. Davis crawled pathetically to a small pond of dirty water and gazed at his reflection. He was dirty remainder of what had happened in the swamp. His eyes were bloodshot and misty, making his soft blue eyes look like he was drinking alcohol all night. His once soft brown hair was now in huge clumps from the days of not brushing the gunk of it. He bent down to drink some water, returning moisture to his dried-up throat.  
  
At least Razoff was kind enough to let me keep my dagger while I was unconscious, Davis recalled as his hand felt the familiar presence of his birthday present. He smiled, despite the situation. Somehow, he was going to find a way out of here and was going to show Razoff that he came on peaceful terms. Suddenly, Davis heard the sound of a door opening from the other side of the catacombs. Instead of rushing to greet the noise, Davis flattened himself against the comforting coldness of a stone wall. It was always best to conceal yourself in a prison in case the jailor came to punish you. The voices came closer until Count Razoff came into view, a large gash across his right cheek. He didn't seem to notice the wound as he was being forced along by Rayman, whom which Davis instantly became excited to see again. However, that excitement turned into dread as Rayman turned his head towards him. His bright eyes, normally filled with life, were burning with the fires of hatred. He smirked at Davis, then replied to his captive. "Hey, it looks like you have a playmate! Doesn't that sound fun?" He proceeded to attach Razoff's ankles and wrists to chains hanging from a nearby wall. "Sorry it has to be so uncomfortable, but Morphina has a special fate in store for you."  
  
"Wow, I'm bursting with joy," Razoff said sarcastically as Rayman finished locking up the cuffs around his wrists and ankles. Davis kept his place in the shadows, watching the scene in awe. "Don't worry, you won't be here for long. Morphina even said that she'd come here in a few hours to finish her business with you. After all, that's around the same time Ivy and her group of flunkies are supposed to arrive here, given the time they take to follow tracks." Davis drew in a harsh breath. Ivy was involved in this? Oh no, this could only mean that Morphina is repeating the War of the Souls to seek revenge, Davis decided. Now, his aches and pains seemed unimportant as he watched Rayman and Razoff 'converse' angrily. Davis caught the final words of the conversation. "To make sure you don't slip out of those chains and escape, Morphina sent a couple of watchdogs to guard your most likely exits, so to speak." Rayman jabbed his thumb to the direction of their only exit; the front door. Davis dared to look, and he saw the lithe shadow of Ruby-Eyes from the light of the doorway. Davis flinched; he was trained in killing the undead and demons, but living creatures? This seemed too much...  
  
When Rayman disappeared out of sight, Davis slowly crept out of the darkness. He sighed in relief; obviously Rayman didn't think the small boy was a threat. He unsheathed his dagger, feeling the blade in his hand. "Boy, killing people is sure gonna be hard to get used to." Davis was unaware that he spoke his last thought out loud. He quickly regretted it. "You're not going to kill me, are you?" Razoff's voice became a small pathetic squeak from his awkward position from the wall. Great, Davis thought, now I have Razoff believing that I'm a cutthroat after his treasure. It was time to settle this once and for all. Davis raised his dagger, focusing his inherited power until the blade grew white-hot with the Tamer's Light. Razoff flinched and prepared himself for his throat to be cut. Swish! Davis swiftly cut a chain off the wall, freeing Razoff's right arm. He was going to have to be careful, if he missed the bounds then he would slit Razoff's wrists. Not a pleasant thought. In three quick solid movements of his dancing blade, the final three chains were cut, freeing their captive. When Razoff fell to his knees in a surprised daze, no longer supported by imprisoning metal, he immediately saw Davis's true personality.  
  
"Thanks, kid. Sorry about the dart earlier; if I known you were a skilled blade artist then I would've let you in on lighter terms." His voice was a soft whisper; best not let any Commander have the drop on them. Razoff rubbed his wrists, returning circulation to his hands as he sat knee-deep in the catacomb's damp refuge. Davis smiled warmly. "No, it's my fault. I went running after my sister Ivy even when she told me not to and got lost in the mist." Razoff quickly rose to his feet. "Wait a minute, you're related to the successor of the zombie-tamers? Geez, now I really feel stupid for paralyzing you, kid!"  
  
Davis tapped his foot in impertinence. "Please call me Davis; 'kid' is getting on my nerves. Besides, we're pretty much stuck here in these catacombs until Morphina fetches for us. What choices do we have of escaping?" The two considered this for a moment. It wasn't long before the powerless Count came up with several different plans for escaping. "Well, we have three choices, Davis. The first one is to just wait here for Morphina to come back and say goodbye to our free will." Davis shook his head. What a way to state the obvious, Razoff. The first plan was clearly a joke. "The second one is to slay the guard and make a dash for the entrance, somehow dodging the hundreds of Commanders in there." Davis winced but said nothing; that choice was almost as bad as the first one. "Or, we could slay the guard up in front and then use the secret escape in the catacombs." Finally, the arranged plans seemed useful, however Davis wasn't too keen on slaying a living being, even if it was a Commander.  
  
"Why do we have to slay the guard? Couldn't we just escape without the guard knowing?" Davis questioned softly, still keeping his voice down. Count Razoff shook his head. "There's no other choice, because if the guard came back to an empty cell then what would he do now? And, since there's a war going on and Morphina has access to my weapons, the only way to equip myself with anything with any firepower is to pry a weapon off the guard's dead body." Davis shivered at the calm tone to Razoff's voice, but he obeyed anyway. Silently, the two crept through the catacombs, careful not to make any loud noises as they padded across the cold pavement. Soon, they were standing at the entrance to the catacombs; a large wooden door that hadn't been cleaned in a long time. It was overgrown with moss and lichen, making it an eyesore. With a quick signal of his right hand, Razoff tapped on the door. When Ruby-Eyes opened the door, Davis dove behind the guard's line of sight.  
  
Wham! Ruby-Eyes fell unconscious, a well-placed rock to the head. Razoff shut the door quickly but quietly, trying hard not to attract any attention. When the door was closed, Davis gathered enough courage to speak. "Whoa, he's holding a gun!" Davis whispered as he saw the shotgun being held in Ruby-Eyes' still paws. Razoff pried it out of his grasp, making the unconscious ferret shift slightly. "It's not just any gun, it's mine! The numbskull didn't even have the experience to hold it correctly." Davis crept closer to the ferret, so close that he could feel his steady rancid breath on his face. "Okay, Davis. Slit his throat!" Razoff encouraged.  
  
"Why can't we leave him here? We have your weapon!" Davis argued. "It doesn't matter. If that guard wakes up and tells Morphina, our secret escape will be ruined. If you can't do it, then at least let me do it." Davis shook his head. He bit his lip, trying to keep himself from crying out. He pointed his dagger under Ruby-Eyes' chin, his vision blurred by hot tears. His blade struck home. Ruby-Eyes choked on his own blood; his gaping throat wound silencing him forever. Davis started to cry, weeping until his lungs hurt. He couldn't believe that he just slain a living creature with his blade. He felt horrible, yet in the back of his mind he enjoyed it...  
  
Razoff had to grab Davis by the shoulder to lead him to the secret entrance. The secret escape route was blocked off by a stone wall, so concealed that even the Count had trouble finding it. His fingers found the subtle crack that formed a rock slab, and with a forceful pull from the Count, the rock slab slid open, revealing a small tunnel that even Davis would have to duck to get through. "This will lead outside, but I'm sure if Morphina has army members posted outside or not." Without a second word, Davis ran into the tunnel, using his knees to support him. His words echoed off the tunnel's walls, emplacing his words.  
  
"There's only one way to find out! Freedom and Ivy, here we come!"  
  
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Ivy and her group found themselves at the edge of the marshes. Ivy examined the tracks, large groups of footprints leading into the security of her homeland. Freya sniffed the air, her extraordinary smell senses telling her what the other members of the group couldn't figure out. "The tracks are still fresh. The army has just passed here about two hours ago at the very most. If we keep following them at this pace, then maybe we could catch them."  
  
Ivy gazed into the marshlands; her green eyes reflecting worry and doubt. "I just hope you're right. If we mess up, there won't be any way to fix it." She brushed the hair from her eyes as she scanned the surroundings. She sighed to herself as her thoughts wandered back to her family. Pierce, her father, would always comfort her by telling her stories of long-lost heroes, Davis, her younger brother, would always give Ivy someone to talk to about her feelings and her views, and Rosemary, her mother, nothing more than a memory now. She wondered to herself as she let her mind wander.  
  
Will she succeed, or will she start the beginning of the world's Dark Ages?  
  
Only Fate had any idea now...  
  
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End of Chapter 3  
  
Wow, I'm probably endangering myself by making Rayman spellbound. *Watches as the ground opens before her and flames appear from every corner of the Earth* Um, should I tell you not to worry about Rayman, or should I just let you people review this chapter like nice, orderly people? *Tomatoes are thrown* Pah. Not to worry, I'm sure the next Chapter will save Rayman from Morphina, or will it? *Laughs evilly, and is hit by flying shoes* X_O Well, since I got that squared away, here's a lovely preview!  
  
Preview to Chapter 4: Bane and Venom  
  
Ivy and her friends join forces with Davis and Razoff, but will that be enough to stop the giant clawed menace called Bane? Also, Ivy discovers that Morphina is keeping a treasure more priceless than the world's treasures in the highest room of Razoff's Mansion; Ivy's mother. To make matters even more complicated, Rayman and Globox have some 'scores' to settle with Morphina's most crafty traitors; the ex-Commanders Bad-Rayman and Freya. Stay Tuned! ^^  
  
Review! I don't accept flames either, you spoilsports. (Which leads me to ask, why am I worrying if nobody flamed me for spellbinding Ly in Veil of Darkness? Ah well, trying to predict the future will do that to you.) 


	4. Bane and Venom

Concealment of Evil: Bane and Venom  
  
Author's Notes: If I'd had known that the Veil of Darkness series would become more popular than my Pokemon stories, then I would've started these stories about two years ago. ^^ (Of course, then they would be as bad as Fate and Apothecary, a failure I'm still trying to shake off.) Now, I'm desperately itching for a scanner right about now. *has black-and-white pictures of various Veil of Darkness characters, including Freya, Bane, and Morphina* If anyone knows where I can get a scanner cheap, then notify me right away! :)  
  
Someone I don't even know e-mailed me a little while back asking me what makes zombie-tamers and demon-slayers different. This is the simple answer. Demon-slayers can be anyone, with or without magic abilities, that kill run- of-the-mill demons (ie. ones that don't need magic to slay) for either bounty or the thrill of justice. Zombie-tamers, on the other hand, are a few and far in-between race of people who were given magic powers like the Tamer's Light to vanquish Morphina, the strongest demon of all. So far, there are only four known living on the planet. (That would be Ivy, Davis, Rosemary, and Jano. Ivy's father Pierce married a zombie-tamer, but never was one.)  
  
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Davis was completely surrounded in pitch-black darkness. He shivered, feeling his spine crawl as he tried to see anything within Razoff's secret exit. Behind him, he could hear the powerless Count mutter under his breath as he messed with something Davis couldn't tell. Davis felt cold, both inside and outside. Burning hot tears slide down his face when he recalled the life he took, and the swiftness it took to do so. Davis played with his dagger in his hands carefully; the cursed blade still unsheathed in his rush to abandon the ferret corpse. "What have I been reduced to?" Davis muttered to himself. His sanity was slowly pulling itself apart. It won't be long before...  
  
Suddenly, a flare lit up the tunnel. Almost immediately, Razoff handed Davis a lit lantern. The glowing light gave the Count an eerie presence. "Here you go, kid. Walking through this tunnel is extremely hard without a light to guide the way." The tall, lithe creature started to lead the way, holding the old-fashioned lantern in front of him like a lifeline. Like a zombie, Davis stumbled after him, his legs shuffling numbly under him. Why was Razoff so calm and collected when he saw the ferret so defenseless and ready to slay? Were the many prizes from successful hunting turned this skilled sharpshooter into a cold-blooded killer? Thoughts buzzed around Davis's head, and soon Davis backed a good distance away from Razoff, as if he was afraid Razoff would turn about-face and blow Davis's head clear off his shoulders.  
  
"This mansion has survived a long time from attacks such as these." Razoff sparked a conversation between the two to shatter the silence. "My family avoided many attacks. Robot Pirates, Antitoons, Hoodlums; you name it. I kept this place free from Hoodlum attacks a while back, and I'm disappointed with myself for letting my guard down with Morphina." Davis shrugged, indifferent. "Morphina's a wise thinker. She can fly solo if she has to, and not to mention that she's a demon immune to most weapons." The Count nodded as he led Davis on. Razoff's gun was being carried carefully like it was a priceless treasure. And it was in a time like this. "I sensed that from her when she caught me off-guard. The only demon-killing weapons I can probably use are enchanted bullets, and six of those alone would cost everything but the clothes on my back."  
  
Davis nodded in agreement. That was the main reason why Ivy and he weren't taught how to handle guns; enchanted bullets were impossible to find and even more impossible to buy. Also, the Tamer's Light had very little effect on a single bullet, much less enough ammo to take down a monster like Bane or Morphina. Also, guns were not as easy to find in a weapon arsenal as a sword or a dagger, the zombie-tamer's key weapons. Blade weapons were more effective with the Tamer's Light because they concentrate the magic into the sharp edges. Davis had to leap over a large bottomless crack running across the pathway. "This isn't the first time I've dealed with sieges like this, you know. Hoodlums are persistent creatures; they've tried to take advantage of this mansion over three times." Davis nodded monotonously, but he didn't bother to continue the discussion further. Instead, he was worried about the ending of the tunnel.  
  
"How much further?" Davis complained. Now, all he was concentrated on was whether Morphina's army set up camp near the exit or not. He didn't want to kill another unsuspecting Commander, no matter how bloodthirsty they happened to be. As if to answer his question, the tunnel suddenly ended, revealing a large wall of fallen rocks. Davis stood in awe, afraid that the tunnels have been unused for too long. "Don't worry, Davis. They're only decoys to discourage any enemies using this tunnel." Razoff proved his point by moving a large decoy rock hanging on the right side of the tunnel, revealing an old-fashioned lever. He pulled it downwards, and the large fallen rocks slid into concealed gaps in the walls. When the dust cleared, it revealed the tunnel suddenly shifted upwards to the ground above. "Does that answer your question?" The two of them entered the now opened pathway, and the fake fallen rocks slid back into place behind them. The secret passageway had abruptly ended, leading to another decoy rock doorway that led to the surface. Davis nearly shouted for joy, relieved to finally see daylight again. Razoff got a good grip on the small boulder and shoved it out of the way like the other doors.  
  
"Well, it looks like the coast is clear." The secret passageway had led to a small grove of swamp trees. Razoff climbed out of the tunnel and slightly pushed some drooping branches just enough to peek into the distance with one eye. He quickly pushed the branches back into place and informed Davis, who was now sitting casually on the ground at his feet. "Here's our position. We're currently in a large grove of trees that makes a boundary that separates my territory from the rest of the swamplands. Also, we're on a high kind of bluff that overlooks my entire property, making it easy to see everything that I own in these swamps. Apparently, Morphina has so many army-members that some of them had set up camp around my household. It would be extremely foolish to stray away from these trees without getting spotted, so we better keep to the bluff."  
  
"And...?" Davis pressed. By now, Davis managed to push the rock back into place to keep Razoff's secret concealed. From its current position, it was hard to tell that it was actually a secret door. Razoff once again gazed at the sight below then turned to Davis. "We have no other choice. We'll have to flee and get help." The tone to his voice sounded final, so Davis didn't bother to object. As quietly as possible, the two dashed off into the underbrush, running as carefully and as swiftly as possible. "I know of some good fighters in Bluddweik. If we hurry, we could get back here in less than a week." Davis seemed appalled as he raced beside the Count, dodging low tree branches. "A week? You can't be serious!" Razoff quickly formed a counter-argument. "Yes, I'm serious! You can't run into good help these da-ooof!"  
  
In an instant more ironic as the imprisonment in his own mansion, Razoff had run straight into Ivy Thorn while she happened to dashing in the opposite direction. The two laid on the ground in silence for a couple of instances, slightly dazed from the impact. Ivy was the first to recover. "Hey! What's the big idea?" Ivy shouted, her head still pounding from the blow. Soon afterwards, some shrubs were brushed aside as the rest of the traveling party rushed to Ivy's aide. They had abandoned their horses a long time ago, seeing as hooves would greatly sink in the soft swamp soil. "See? That's why we told you not to dash ahead of us Ivy! You run into...these things..." Freya commented, lacking any words to describe Razoff. In the midst of the confusion, the first person to notice Davis, who was standing completely oblivious to the whole scenario, was Ivy. "Davis? What are you doing here and why are you in league with this crazy swamp-lizard?" Razoff quickly got off from the ground from his awkward position, obviously insulted.  
  
"Swamp-lizard? You indignant little marshdweller! I happen to be the great Razoff the hunter!" He dusted some swamp dirt off his clothes, almost as if to prove his point. Ivy shot him a glare, but said no more. "Well, it doesn't matter who you are at this time. It only matters if we know where Morphina happens to be." Rex insisted. Razoff was delighted to hear Morphina mentioned. "You want to get rid of Morphina too? Well, isn't this lucky that we ran into each other!" Ivy gave him another icy stare as she ate some of Donnia's herbs to get rid of her headache. "I didn't mean literally, of course. That demonic little witch threw me out of my mansion and set up camp there!"  
  
Ivy's attitude towards Razoff greatly improved with that statement. "Really? Then you must show us the way!" Davis smiled at his sister's joy; it was glad to see Ivy acting like her usual peppy self. "I'd love to right now, just as long as you save some of her for me. I don't take kindly to strangers like her!" Ivy grinned, her teeth giving her a misguided sense of innocence. "It's a deal!" She held out her hand at full length. The two hunters shook hands, a sign of a sealed deal.  
  
Ivy had just joined forces with the best sharpshooter on the face of the planet!  
  
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While Ivy and Razoff were sealing their deal, Morphina had other things to do. She stood brooding in the elegant dining hall, a glass of aged wine in her hands. She drank delicately, staining her pale lips red. She heard a horde member rush up the stairs to meet her, and she showed indifference as she finished her glass. It was a large corsair human; the same one that was concerned about Striker's disappearance a day ago. He was tripping on his large feet as he ran to greet Morphina. He didn't even bother to catch his breath as he explained to Morphina about his news. "Morphina! The prisoner has escaped! He's murdered poor Ruby-Eyes; slit his throat like a cunning killer! What should we do?" Morphina suddenly shot the human a look of pure venom. The glass shattered in her hand as rage took control.  
  
"How did Razoff escape? He was all alone in those catacombs!" The human cowered before her, not knowing what to say to the raging demon. Suddenly, they heard a nervous cough from behind them. Sure enough, Rayman the spellbound hero knew what had happened in the catacombs. "Exactly, he wasn't completely alone, your Grace." Morphina turned her attention to Rayman. She came closer to him, ignoring shards of glass sticking to her right hand. "What did you just say? Are you saying that Razoff had a prisoner in there before we took his status away?" Rayman nodded, a nervous sweat trickling down the back of his head. He was spellbound, yes, but in a form where he felt some emotions like fear and worry, just for Morphina's liking. He swallowed nervously as he explained.  
  
"There was only one prisoner in there. It was a kid, about in his mid- teens. He had this thick brown hair, which was dirty with swamp dirt. I just thought he was an unarmed swamp hermit, so I let him be." Morphina seemed to glow with rage. Within her eyes, a deadly fire sparked. He picked up the limbless guardian with her left hand, bringing his face to eye- level. "You idiot! Do you realize who was down there?" She shook Rayman like an overgrown doll, trying to input every last word into his spellbound head. "That was Davis, you legless fool! Even without a weapon, a proper zombie-tamer can unlock chains by just using the Tamer's Light. Davis freed Razoff, and they killed one of my best Commanders because of it." Rayman shivered; some Commanders found it disturbingly amusing to see the world's Guardian being reduced to a shivering mess under Morphina's gaze.  
  
"How was I to know? They had no exits out anyways!" Instantly, Morphina dropped Rayman to the floor as realization hit her like a bucket of cold water. Her bottom lip quivered as she considered the possibility. "A proper hunter like Count Razoff wouldn't have a manor without a secret exit in one of the rooms. He probably killed Ruby-Eyes to silence him, and used a hidden doorway to escape. Hmmm, he's a lot more cunning then I realized..." She turned back to Rayman, who was sitting on the ground awaiting his Master's next orders. She pointed a long pointed fingernail in his direction. "I want you to hunt Davis and Razoff down. Take your Globox friend with you. Also, it would be logical to take this." Morphina handed Rayman a large burlap bag that was sitting on a large oaken table. Rayman held it in his hands, weighing it expertly. It was large enough to hold a baby cow.  
  
"Should I bring him back alive?" Rayman questioned. Morphina shook her head. "Before the War of the Souls, I had made a mistake when I requested that two of my Commanders would bring the brother of the heir to the zombie- tamers alive. I had him for a little while, but he soon escaped and revealed my latest plans to his sister and her friends. That cost me the war, and I won't make that same mistake. When you find Davis, do whatever you want with him. Drown him, beat him into a bloody mess, hang him; I don't care about his safety anymore! Use the burlap bag to bring any evidence of Davis's death, and maybe confirm Razoff's fate as well. A severed head or a foot would do just fine, just bring anything as proof!" She paused as she surveyed Rayman's expression. "Do you have all of that?"  
  
Rayman saluted. It made some Commanders almost sick to their stomachs to see a kind-hearted fellow like Rayman be so happy about the death of a child. "Just leave it to me! I'll make sure that I bring Davis's body back before nightfall!"  
  
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Ivy and her group of traveling heroes spent the last hour and a half planning a way to get to Rayman and Globox without her knowing in the best way possible. After all, everyone knew powerful Rayman was, and they needed a way of breaking Razoff's confirmed spellbound on him without excess bloodshed. (Davis seemed extremely happy on this part) Again and again, Razoff drew various maps of his mansion, each time pointing out important rooms and possible entrances. "We could use the secret entrance to get back in, but Morphina would've most likely learned about the ferret body. If we go to the entrance here, and use the window here, and then we could get into this room here, where I think Morphina would most likely keep the slaves." Razoff explained, slapping the stick on a certain part of the crudely drawn map with each 'here'. Freya shook her head. "The attic? I don't think Morphina would keep the spellbound slaves and the captives still not spellbound there. They could be in the marshes here!" She pointed to the circled area around the mansion sketch.  
  
"I know how Morphina thinks. She would use the darkest, dampest places to seal her captives not yet spellbound. Nia and me could tell you that, having the pleasure for ourselves. That's why I think we should go into the catacombs that Razoff and Davis escaped earlier!" Ivy, who was just sitting back and listening to the suggestions of others for now, thought otherwise. "If Davis and Razoff killed a Commander down there, they'll sure to increase security down there! We should go with Freya's idea." The group argued and discussed among themselves, each on with an idea of their own. Amongst all the suggestions, Davis threw his arms up in desperation. "I give up! At the rate we're going, the Cave of Bad Dreams will be destroyed before we even come up with a plan!"  
  
"Don't worry, Davis. You won't need a plan where you're going!" A sinister voice ran out amongst the trees. Instantly, blade weapons were revealed with a chorus of metallic rings and magic beings readied themselves to cast any spells on their unseen opponent. Suddenly, with grace not to be believed, Rayman fell from his original perch above them and landed on the ground. Following him, Globox fell to the ground as well, only instead of landing on his feet he awkwardly crashed onto his back. The two stood there, looking like the perfect bringers of death. Rayman smiled venomously, a look that Ivy knew she probably wouldn't forget. "Sorry I had to surprise you like that, but even an amateur could've pinpointed your very position. Besides, I didn't want Morphina's plans to be foiled by children like last time." He waved a skeptical finger towards Freya and Bad- Rayman's direction. "You two should've foreseen an ambush like this earlier! Have you been losing your touch?" Freya charged towards them, dagger ready, but was held back by Donnia and Rex.  
  
"Don't lose your cool! Rayman and Globox are here just to make us lose our focus. We need to be smarter than to fall for their bragging." Ivy knew exactly what Donnia was telling Freya; when Morphina spellbound a creature as powerful as Ly or Rayman, she would do it a bit more loosely than a normal captive would. The looser binding would give the captives emotions, but only those that mirrored the spellbinding's creator. Rayman was acting just like Morphina when she was trying to get under your skin; haughty and insulting. Ivy drew her most treasured weapon; a long curved dagger that could pass as a short sword. "Don't even try, Ivy. We'll cover you." Freya whispered, covering her voice up while Rayman and his Bad counterpart were exchanging empty threats against each other. "Bad-Rayman and I are itching for a re-match with Morphina's scumbags, so Rayman and Globox will do just perfectly. Take Donnia, Razoff, and Rex and head towards Morphina's hideout. Bad-Rayman, Davis, and I will cover for you." Ivy didn't like the reckless look in Freya's eye.  
  
"Freya, I don't want you to kill yourself! You don't deserve it!" Ivy protested. Freya smiled at her, flashing dazzling canines. "Don't fret over us. We know exactly what we're doing. Now go!" The decision was final. With a quick gesture towards Donnia, Rex, and Razoff, the four remaining heroes broke off from the rest of the group quietly as the overly confident Rayman kept trying to weather down his opponent's concentration. He was waiting for one of them to let their guard down. Globox pointed to the four companions leaving the scene. "Rayman! They're getting away!" Rayman turned to his friend. "Leave them! The only prize I'm after is Davis!" Rayman stepped closer to Davis, fists sparkling with charging magic.  
  
"You've messed with Morphina for too long, so I'm going to mess with you!" Davis raised his dagger to his face, readying himself for the blow. A war cry filled the air, along with the sound of someone being hit full-force with a signature energy fist. Davis lowered his dagger, and saw Rayman and Bad-Rayman locked together in a choking death-grip. "You creep! The real Rayman would never pick on a harmless child. You're nothing more than a thug!" Rayman slipped out of his grasp. "Listen to yourself. Do you deny your very birth, spawn of the shadows?" Bad-Rayman flinched; being reminded of his past with Mister Dark was not a way to get on his good side. The Guardian seemed to enjoy seeing emotional pain inflicted on his enemy. Rayman took this as the perfect time to attack. Wrong choice. Rayman was sent flying a few feet, sending his back right into a tree. "A real hunter conceals his weapon until the last moment." Bad-Rayman turned to Davis. "Now! While he's still down!"  
  
Davis quickly rushed to Rayman's aide. There was a sudden flash of light, the sure sign of a broken spellbinding, and Rayman quickly got off of his awkward position on the ground, rubbing his head. "Ow...my head. Thanks for snapping me out of that friend." Davis gave him a thumbs-up. "Don't mention it. You were starting to creep all of us out!" The conversation was cut off by sound of a war cry much like Bad-Rayman's, followed by a dull thump of someone falling to the ground. Everyone turned their attention to the previously forgotten Freya and saw her standing triumphantly above an unconscious Globox. "Now do you think that I'm losing my touch?" Freya asked retorically to the unconscious frog in annoyance. A few minutes later, Globox was returned to normal just like Rayman was. Freya and Davis filled Rayman in on the details of their plans, not sparing any details. As they explained, Rayman nodded in acknowledgement, his face stoic and showing indifference.  
  
"So Ivy plans to burst through Morphina's front door?" He shook his head in doubt. "She won't survive back there! Doesn't she know that Bane is acting like Morphina's personal watchdog right now?" Davis quickly interrupted. "I know Ivy better than anybody and I can say correctly that she wouldn't act without thinking first. From what I heard, wasn't Bane's pack killed by demon-slayers? That's what Donnia and Rex are, not to mention that Razoff could be one as well. Ivy's okay." Rayman smiled; he always considered others weaker than they really were, a weakness he needed to sort out.  
  
"True, but I've also heard some amazing information while I was Morphina's pet, so to speak. I've heard that Morphina is keeping a slave in the highest room in the mansion. She calls her Rosemary, and I thought she might be useful enough to remember later." Davis's eyes widened. "That's the name of my mother! We need to rescue her!" Bad-Rayman quickly butted in. "We can't rescue her without a plan. There's no telling how many Commanders are out there."  
  
Rayman brushed some tree branches out of the way and looked down at the battle site that was once Razoff's home. He had a confident smile, the same one he would get whenever he comes up with a plan, on his face as he scanned the land below him. "Don't worry; I've got an idea!"  
  
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"Great. If we hadn't dashed from the fight so recklessly, then we would have a plan to use!"  
  
Donnia playfully kicked Ivy in the side, stopping her from complaining any further. Sure enough, Ivy's remaining group of travelers, Razoff, Donnia, Rex, and herself included, were laying low in a group of thick shrubs, hiding themselves from the Commanders. Thorns bit at Ivy's flesh as she wiggled to find some elbowroom. As much as she'd hate to admit it, they were badly outnumbered right now. The only person risking a peek was Razoff, while the others didn't want to chance it. After all, they did they would be in plain view for the Commanders to see. "Strange. Why aren't the Commander creatures moving much?" Donnia shifted her position in the thorny bush to get a closer look. "What do you mean, Razoff, and why are you blowing our cover? Don't you know what we're risking here?"  
  
"Take a look for yourself!" Razoff parted the bushes, revealing a closer look. Everyone was extremely surprised. The Commanders were sprawled in outrageous positions as the lay on dry ground, sleeping or resting their fatigue off. The majority of the Commanders seen were human, and the rest of them were antromorphic animals like Freya. Mammals wrapped themselves with animal hide blankets, avians were curled-up balls of feathers, and reptilians were basking peacefully in the sun. The Commanders that were awake were either in the Mansion tending to Morphina's needs or sleepily preparing food or drink while they rested on the ground. Ivy smirked at this news. "This is too easy. It looks like Morphina forced her followers too far after Menhir Fort's defeat. We can just stroll into the mansion with all of the Commanders too sleepy to care."  
  
"I don't know. I have a feeling that this could be a trap..." Rex stated. He let his line of sight wander across the plains. "If Morphina wants to protect her newest fortress, the least she could do is place a watch amongst the sleeping Commanders. We can't just waltz right in there!" Then, Ivy suddenly came up with a plan. A large grin spread across her face. "My friends, it's time to play a little game of deception!" She said comically. She told her friends about her plan, and they all went with it. Just a few feet away lay a pile of dirty Commander tunics, still soiled with dried blood and sweat. As quietly as possible, Ivy snatched the clothing and forced everyone to put on a Commander's tunic. Sure enough, with sheathed weapons, Commander's tunics, and imitated army accent and attitude, they were passed as members of the army. Confidently, the four heroes strode along towards the entrance of the manor, only greeted by the occasional tired hello and ahoy by a drowsy Commander.  
  
"This is perfect. Why didn't I think of it sooner?" Razoff whispered as they passed the rows of groggy and sleeping horde members. Ivy shrugged. "Deception only affords to work when the conditions are just right. I'm sure we couldn't have done this if the army had been wide-awake and alert." Ivy explained with some indifference to her tone. It wasn't long before they were standing only a few yards away from the mansion, an awesome sight to behold. However, there was one obstacle wedged between the main gates still blocking the way...  
  
Bane lay just a few feet away from them, a large curled mass of scales and claws. He was in an amusing position, his head resting on his front feet like a sleeping dog. His claws were pointed downward, the poisonous tips out of harm's way. His breaths were slow and steady, the sure signs of slumber. The four of them stood right in front of the large demon serpent creature, knowing that he was blocking the only way in the mansion without attracting attention from the Commanders near them. "Holy cow...Is that Bane?" Ivy hissed quietly to Donnia. Donnia nodded, her blue hair falling in curls around her shoulders. "That spellbinding he was imprisoned under is probably so strong that it made even a tireless monster like Bane groggy. We'll have to go around him if we want to go inside without causing any Commanders to wonder about our entrance." After all, wouldn't it seem a bit odd to see a fellow army member scale the side of the boss's mansion into an open window when the main entrance was sitting right in front of them? Ivy considered the possibility, but it was sure to cause trouble amongst the ranks.  
  
Rex was the first to sneak around the monster. Cautiously, he crept around Bane's massive head, trying as best as he could to not brush his skin against the hardened demon scales. Rex was so close to Bane's mouth that he could feel the rancid breath against his stomach as he scooted around him. Success; Rex was on the other side without a problem. Donnia's trip was pretty much the same as Rex's, only she had to avoid getting smushed by Bane as he moved his right claw into a different position, making his dangerous claws face upward where somebody could hurt themselves on them. Ivy smiled when she saw her two friends safely on the other side of the large demon. For once, everything is going smoothly, Ivy reflected. Her thought was short lived though. When Razoff was moving over to Donnia and Rex's side of safety, he wasn't so successful. When he was right in between Bane's claws he stumbled slightly on a rock and fell, causing the tip of one of the sharp claws on Bane's right hand to rake across his back. Immediately the demon poison began to spread through his veins, and Razoff screeched wordlessly in pain.  
  
"Dammit..." Ivy swore as she saw Bane's left eye open suddenly, revealing a slitted green eye. Bane lifted himself off the ground until he was his full height, assuming the pose of a very peeved monster. He lowered his head to Razoff's level, his mouth inches from his face. "Why did you wake me up? Didn't Morphina order you to stay outside unless if she ordered you to come inside?" Razoff said nothing; his face still twisted in agony as the poison scorched his blood like fire. Ivy hoped dearly that Bane's poison wasn't as lethal as Morphina's. Bane took a step closer, pressing himself closer to his awakener, so close that their faces touched. Everyone knew that Bane was strong enough to tear Razoff to pieces in this kind of a situation. It seemed like eons before Bane spoke again. "I guess there's no harm done young Commander. You only got the tip of my poison, so it isn't serious. You may pass." Bane moved out of the way. Razoff's breath let out in a painful whoosh. He started to limp away from the terrible scene, his back feeling almost paralyzed in pain.  
  
Suddenly, Bane's tail came down in front of him. In confusion, Razoff turned to meet Bane's eyes, only to see that a raging fire glowed within them. "Wait a second! I know exactly what you are! You're a demon-slayer!" Each sentence was laced with venom. Neither Ivy nor Donnia or Rex could respond as the beautiful silver scales on Bane's body shook with contained anger. "That very day on the coast, I saw you there. You shot down two of my best friends with that damn gun of yours. You removed their heads and collected a bounty from the fairy creatures, right there on the beach that day." Razoff then remembered that he had inherited two demon skulls from his father when he was little, one of the many heirlooms that were passed down. In fact, he still had the skulls mounted above his fireplace; their ghastly mouths open to reveal rows upon rows of sharp teeth. For a fleeting instance in his cold-hearted life, Razoff experienced regret for killing things so shamelessly.  
  
Bane then lifted his head and bellowed a monstrous call that seemed to echo within Ivy's soul. She stood paralyzed in both fear and confusion as she saw the monster mourn. If demons were soulless creatures, then why did Bane feel compassion for his two dead companions? If Morphina was in his shoes, then she would've shrugged off their deaths and said that they were too weak anyways. The roar of mourning woke any napping Commanders in the nearby area, and caused everyone wide awake to rush to the scene with weapons at hand. It wasn't long before a large confused crowd formed near the sea demon as he continued to sing his lament. After he was finished, he turned to Razoff. This time however, Razoff managed to summon enough courage to raise his gun until it was parallel to Bane's eye. If this is the last day of my miserable life than I'm not going down without a struggle, Razoff thought. This is going to be one tough fight, Ivy realized, a fight where one of them was sure to lose their life.  
  
Bane bared his fangs, revealing rows of sharp predator teeth. "Today, I'm going show you the feeling of true misery!"  
  
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Heh. Sorry to leave you at a cliffhanger. ^_^ My supreme creativity rush I got earlier on this story is running out, and now I'm running into the most terrifying thing in author history; writer's blocks. O_o I need some more inspiration.  
  
Preview of Chapter 5: Concealed Illusions  
  
Rayman, Davis, and the two ex-Commanders manage to find a way into Razoff's Mansion without attracting attention, but they find something that could very well change the course of the war; the mythical Concealment of Evil. Meanwhile, Bane and Razoff are locked into a fight that seems like it has no outcome except the death of both fighters. As for Ivy and her two remaining companions, they discover that Rosemary is being contained in Razoff's attic. Getting there is easy, but getting Rosemary out safely is the hard part, as the attic has a hidden danger waiting for its next victims...  
  
Does anybody have any suggestions? Just as long as they aren't completely negative, then I'll take them. Review, my friends! ^_^ 


	5. Concealed Illusions

Concealed Illusions  
  
Author's Notes: Stupid Writer's Blocks! Why don't they go away? *hits her head against her computer desk* Well, I have nothing else to say right now, except that this chapter will build on Bane's, Rex's, and Donnia's characters.  
  
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"Ack! This stuff smells!"  
  
"I can't see!"  
  
"Quiet! Do you want the Commanders to hear?" Rayman's harsh answer quickly silenced any further complaining. Rayman was walking along quite casually towards the large mansion of Razoff, where Morphina currently resided. Beside him Globox followed, carrying the large burlap sack Morphina gave them earlier, only this time the bottom and the sides of it were stained blood red and made disgusting squishing noises as it bounced to the rhythm of its carrier's walking. Slung onto Rayman's back like an extra skin, Rayman carried Freya's limp form. Freya looked like she was slain, with her tongue hanging out comically out the side of her neck.  
  
Like Ivy, they were playing a game of deception, only this one was a lot more convincing. With some help of Davis, Rayman gathered some special plants that resembled blood and literally filled the burlap sack with the slushy red dye. Inside the sack, Davis and Bad-Rayman sat inside, trying hard not to cry out from the horrible smell that engulfed them. For a finishing touch, some dye was splashed on Freya's neck to look like she was stabbed with a knife from behind. Hey, just because Rayman and Globox weren't a part of Morphina's army anymore didn't mean that the Commanders had to know. Soon, they were close to the entrance without a struggle.  
  
"Rayman, I see you collected Davis's body as planned, along with a wolf female as well." The burly man that Rayman met in the dining room with Morphina ran up to him, spear raised. Rayman saluted back, trying hard not to drop Freya as he did so. He imitated the haughty nature he had when he was under Morphina's command. "It was a piece of cake. It's such a shame that Lady Morphina had so much trouble with these pests in the first place!" It felt almost sickening to call Morphina Lady now. The Commander prodded the sack with his spear, smiling when he felt solid goods inside. Inside the sack, Davis bit his lip to keep from crying out as the spear tip prodded his back.  
  
"The lady would request for you to show me the body first before I let you inside." The Commander requested. Rayman smiled, then ordered Globox to set the bag down. He reached into the sack and pulled out a disembodied hand with a coating of bloody material, a sneaky advantage for Raymanians like Rayman and his dark counterpart. Neither hand nor blood was real, yet the Commander almost choked on his own bile. "If you like, I can show you the rest of the zombie-tamer." Rayman said dryly, as if holding a disembodied hand wasn't a big deal. The man quickly declined. "T-That's enough proof for me! You may pass as ordered!" Rayman was let inside the mansion without another word.  
  
Instead of taking the normal route to Morphina, he took the side route to the weapon storage room, where everything of fighting value was stored. As he passed the hallways, he noticed that the walls were now bare of anything Razoff had hung on them earlier. Inside the storage room, the only light was a little light bulb that hung on a cord above Rayman's head. He switched on the light. The weapon room was a small cluttered room filled with weapons of every type. Swords and knifes were hung with care in their holsters, guns and hand-cannons were sitting on racks, ammo and arrows were stored on cluttered shelves, and even old fashioned spears and stone slings were placed carelessly on top of modern weapons. What luck; no one was in the storage room except for Globox, Rayman, and the 'corpses'.  
  
"Okay, the coast is clear." Rayman whispered. Immediately, Freya leapt to her feet to rub the irritating liquid off her furry neck. Davis and Bad- Rayman emerged from the large sack; both of them coated in a spotted pattern of red dye on their bodies. Freya almost burst out laughing at the sight, but she quickly remembered exactly where they were. Davis looked at his soaked-through clothes in disgust. "Great. I feel like I slaughtered a whole room of Commanders..." "Looking like you did is nothing compared to actually doing it, like what I have done." Davis didn't reply back as he did his best to ring out the dye from his shirt. The dye painted the ground near his feet a drab reddish-brown color.  
  
"Geez, I thought Razoff was only interested in guns! Take a look at this stuff!" Globox exclaimed. He pulled off a hand-cannon off its rack and peered inside the barrel, examining the craftsmanship. Freya ignored the projectile weapons and instinctively headed towards the supply of blades. She produced a beautiful two-edged sword the size of her arm with a metallic ring. It was crafted with silver and had a hilt with several ancient symbols carved into it. She balanced the sword in her hands, weighing it as she gazed into the silver. "Strange; why does it have my village name carved into the hilt?" Immediately, her partner ran for a closer look. "How can you tell? Those symbols look like decorations to me..." Freya smiled impishly. "That's because my written language is different than yours. These 'decorations' really spell 'Virtue speaks for Terralance'."  
  
"I'm not surprised that you found a family heirloom; this probably isn't the only weapon storage room in this house. Razoff is a collector of both weapons and prey, which is probably why Morphina feels so much at home here." Bad-Rayman replied casually as he replaced his rusty dagger with a new blade that fitted his liking. Suddenly, the company heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps. They sounded like they were heading towards their direction. "Someone's coming! Quick, everybody hide!" Quickly but quietly, Rayman switched off the hanging light bulb as he dove for cover. The rest of the group of five pressed themselves against the walls behind crowded weapons, trying their best to make themselves invisible. Meanwhile, Davis placed one ear against the wall closest to the door as he squatted near some boxes.  
  
"What's taking Morphina so long? Doesn't she know that we're half a day away from the Cave of Bad Dreams?" A haughty voice, the soft alto voice of a female, shouted to a companion as she walked beside him. There was a brief pause before the other replied with a deep male tenor. "Morphina's smarter than you think, Silk. She does have the Concealment of Evil t' help us conquer the Cave of Bad Dreams and that miserable talkin' eyeball." "Concealment of Evil? Hah! If the Veil of Darkness didn't work a long time ago then what makes Morphina so confident that the Concealment is going to work, Richard?"  
  
Slowly, the door opened. A tall human male walked side-to-side with a female ermine into the storage room. Silk switched on the light bulb and sat on a box near the doorway. She was so close to Davis that he could hear her breathe softly. Silk tossed back her furry white head, her golden earrings jingling. "Still, if Morphina wants something than she should seize the first chance she gets. Haven't you noticed that she has a large army, limitless powers, the Guardian of the World by her side, a large wealthy estate, and a sea demon to top it all off? What is she waiting for?" Richard picked up a dagger hanging off the wall and placed it in his belt, his green eyes matching the dirty tunic he wore. He sat down on a barrel nearest to Freya's hiding spot. "She's waitin' for the zombie- tamer's band of merry travelers so she can come and tear 'em limb from limb!" "That's what that sea demon's for!" "No, Morphina gave specific orders to the demon that anybody not wearing a Commander's tunic shouldn't be allowed in the mansion!"  
  
The concealed group of heroes continued to listen to the two Commanders' conversation. Freya had to hold her breath as she felt her back begin to itch. Silk rubbed the back of her long neck. "Still, if she had acted sooner than maybe Ruby-Eyes would still be here. And if she spellbound Razoff immediately, then we'd probably know where the best places in the swamp are for an ambush." Richard leaned back. "Yes, but that was one mistake. I still think that Morphina's thinkin' quite clearly nowadays. Before this ordeal started, it was just huntin', gatherin', and destroyin' useless cities..." "What exactly does the Concealment of Evil do to people anyway, Richard?" "Didn't you see the test subjects? Released inner demons, no matter how innocent at heart the victims happen to be, transforms anyone caught in the Concealment of Evil's web into powerful beings filled with hatred. It's sickening to watch, and even sicker to think about." Richard shuddered, and then he saw the confused look on his friend's face. "It's best not to go into it, Silk. We'll see for ourselves when the action finally starts."  
  
The two Commanders left the storage room, conversing softly about related topics. Everyone let out their held breath almost at the same time in a loud whoosh as soon as Silk and Richard were gone. Davis was the first to recover. "I wonder what the Concealment of Evil does to people if even a Commander is afraid to mention it." Freya lifted herself off the ground and stole a glance towards the door. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as she brushed the light coat of dust off her fur.  
  
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it will make this approaching battle even more difficult than it already is." Rayman stood next to her, his eyes reflecting the same fear that passed through the others' emotions. "Nothing is ever easy anymore...."  
  
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"Come back here and meet your fate like a real hunter, you yellow-bellied bottom-feeder!"  
  
Bane swiped swiftly with his deadly claws, literally turning the tree between him and his prey into a rain of splinters. Several Commanders gathered in a safe range around the two fighters jumped back, avoiding blinding wood-shavings. The only one who didn't flinch was Razoff, who stood smiling at the frustrated demon. Bane rumbled deeply in his throat; his smile was like flashing a red flag to an angered bull. "Are you finished yet?" Razoff asked. Bane only roared wordlessly as an answer as he dove for the Count. Luckily, Razoff sidestepped away from the charging mass of scales and teeth.  
  
Ever since Razoff got separated from Ivy and the rest of the group, he had been fighting an endless battle between the giant sea demon Bane. He no longer held Ruby-Eye's claimed gun, Bane scrapped that one long ago, but instead swiped weapons from the nearest Commanders to injure the demon. As for the members of Morphina's army, they were either too tired to care or too stunned to act as the two fighters wore each other out. The ones that did care gathered in a large ring around demon and Count. Right now, Razoff's weapon was a crossbow. Bane's body trembled in rage, his eyes clouded over as he let animal instincts take control. Twang! An arrow hit sensitive skin right above Bane's left eye, embedding itself between the scales. Bane ignored the trivial pain as he stepped closer, teeth bared. "I'm going to do what you did to my family those years ago!"  
  
"Really? I thought they were shot to death! I don't think you can find a gun big enough for you to properly hold." Razoff stated. Bane paused; his tail swishing the ground is distaste. "True, but I can still remove your head and mount it on a wall!" Bane suddenly lunged, catching Razoff completely off-guard. The Commanders cheered, being the bloodthirsty scum that they were, as they saw blood being shed. Poisonous claws raked across his body as Razoff was dragged under Bane's scaly body. He was pinned to the ground by Bane's front claws, his veins burning with poison and his mind losing focus. He looked up and saw a confident smile spread across the demon's sharp teeth. The demon poison wasn't as fast acting as Morphina's, but Bane's venom did its job just as effectively. Bane opened his mouth and lunged forward, and Razoff knew that this was his end.  
  
Whoosh! Something small and golden striked Bane in the nose. The demon, temporarily off-guard, got off of Razoff to see what the interruption was about. Razoff could barely hear the familiar voice yell at Bane. "You useless sea-dragon! By playing with this useless creature you've let Ivy's friends stroll into *my* mansion without a decent fight to tenderize them!" 'Your mansion?' Razoff thought venomously as he slowly got up into a sitting position. He sat there without moving; even breathing hurt his poisoned and sweat-drenched body. Bane paid some attention to Razoff; a claw blocking his closest exit as Bane discussed with Morphina in the shape of a beautiful golden eagle.  
  
"Let me be Morphina! I must take my revenge on Count Razoff." Bane hissed. The eagle hovered a few inches above Bane's eyes. Morphina's voice sounded extremely strange coming from something as gorgeous as a bird of prey. "If you want, I can do the honors." She quickly darted to Razoff and placed a talon to his neck. When their eyes met, Razoff saw the eagle had the same dark purple eyes as Morphina's human form. "It would be my pleasure to do the job for you..." To everyone's surprise; Bane swatted Morphina away from Razoff. The golden eagle fluttered pathetically to regain composure. "No! A demon's revenge must be done with honor and respect! A fair chance for both to act upon each other!"  
  
If looks could kill, then Morphina would've slain Bane in a second with the glare she shot him. In mid-air, the golden eagle shimmered and twisted until it was a larger bird; a giant carrion bird. The ugly vulture reflected Morphina's bad mood; a habit that shapeshifters often follow. "You should talk you bloodthirsty monster! You've slain enough people on that sunny beach coast to turn the very sea red. Honor does not matter; not when your purpose is empty..." Bane stood still in shock. "You mean, this creature is innocent? He murdered my best friends with his own two hands!" Bane made a wide gesture towards Razoff, who was still awaiting his fate on the ground. How pathetic of me to so low that I can't even act, thought the Count. "Have you forgotten that I have mind-reading powers? This weasel wasn't even alive when you were captured; rather, his father was the one that went after you and killed two of your friends. You see, you're just wasting your anger on this animal when your real adversary is already dead."  
  
Bane realized that he'd had made a large mistake. He absently flicked an embedded arrow out of his right foot as he considered Morphina's little speech. Morphina once again shifted back into a golden eagle, a good sign that she was calming down. "Listen well, Bane. We'll forget this entire scenario never happened. I'll leave you to deal with that worthless vermin there, but I expect you to resume guarding the front entrance. However, if I see you slack off then I'll have no choice but to spellbind you!" Morphina took to the sky and flew towards Razoff's Mansion, her golden body shining in the afternoon air. After she was gone, Bane reached over and grabbed Razoff gently with one of his claws. Razoff didn't have any room to complain, since by now the poison made most of his muscles useless. Bane lifted him up to eye-level, his lovely green eyes gleaming brightly in the sunshine.  
  
"I realize now that by fighting against you I had made the same mistake I had made that day on the beach; I was letting my anger get the better of me. I should've learned from my mistakes..." Bane's eyes dropped down to the dull shackles still around his wrists. They were a remainder that his capture's purpose was to live with his heavy conscience. "Don't fret; I suffer from the same problems! Ouch, don't squeeze that hard!" Bane obliged by loosening his grip on the poisoned fighter. Strange, aren't demons supposed to be bloodthirsty beasts? Why isn't he just swallowing me whole? The venom was eating at Razoff's brain like his head was going to split. "Please, can you give me an antidote for your poison?" Razoff sniveled. Bane nodded, then swiftly raked the middle spoke of his tail fin across Razoff's back. The sharp point drew blood and caused him to wince. "Hardly anyone knows this, but the venom contained in our tail is opposite to our claws' poison, which is why we never use both weapons at the same time. It should counteract against the other poison and heal you in about two hours. It will burn like you wouldn't believe for several minutes, but it works just as well as any dose from the Elixir of Life."  
  
He didn't bother to place Razoff on the ground as he walked casually towards the front gate with his free legs. "Do you even like Morphina? She seems to be treating you more like a watchdog than a demon of your power. After all, you were known throughout the lands as 'the Keeper of the Deep'." A deep rumble formed in Bane's throat. His eyes seemed to burn with a hidden fire. He kept his anger contained, but his finned tail still swept angrily side-to-side like a disgruntled feline. "Even though she denies it, that venomous female has special plans for me. After she uses me to take down the Cave of Bad Dreams, she will then spellbind me and make me her royal house pet. How the mighty have fallen; the Keeper of the Deep is playing watchdog and Rayman the Great in that woman's grasp. If there were a single shard of hope for me, then I'd consider turning over a new leaf, even if it kills me in the process." Suddenly, an idea formed in Razoff's head.  
  
"There's hope for you; have you heard of the Zombie-Tamers?" Razoff asked. Bane nodded in a thoughtful silence. "Well, they have two heirs that will most likely free you of Morphina's clutches. They have lots of friends joined to the same cause, including several demon-slayers and faerie creatures. We could use your help in defeating Morphina, and we could help you regain your dignity and your freedom, along with mine. What do you say?" He would've held out his hand, but he was afraid of Bane crushing his arm into oblivion. Instead, he would take a nod or shake of Bane's giant scaly head. After a second of considering, Bane nodded. "Deal."  
  
Razoff climbed on top of Bane, sensing that the demon was now as docile as a kitten now that the plan had settled. He smiled; if he had Bane on his side, then maybe he could show Morphina how a Razoff reacts to a house- stealer. A pleasant image of Bane ripping Morphina to shreds appeared in his mind. As Bane lay down on the ground in front of the gate, Razoff gave him a friendly pat on the head as he made himself comfortable on the demon's scaly back. "Something tells me that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship..."  
  
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"Ivy, I think we should meet up with the others before Morphina sniffs us out."  
  
Ivy shook her head in response to Donnia's question. They were standing casually in the middle of a hallway on the third floor of the mansion. Underneath them they could hear several Commanders converse in the guestroom. (Although none of them could understand why Razoff would have a guest room if he shot and locked up any trespassers on his property.) Ever since Bane had separated them from the Count, they had been blindly examining the hallways for any clues for any of Morphina's weaknesses. They found nothing on the subject of Morphina, but they did find out from a drunken guard that 'a special captive' was kept in the attic and that the slaves were kept in the catacombs. However, Ivy couldn't shake the feeling that by leaving her other friends behind she was digging her own grave...  
  
"Ivy! Take a look at this!" Ivy realized that by being absorbed in her thoughts that she neglected the actions of her friends. She quickly dashed up the stairs nearest to her towards the sound of Rex's voice. She stopped when she found them staring at a beautifully crafted door. Upon closer inspection, the door was made of priceless silver with several different animal designs carved into the door and the handle. Ivy tentatively touched the door lightly, then drew her hand back quickly at the cold touch of the door.  
  
"It's enchanted. Something powerful is in here if it needs an enchantment." Ivy explained. She gripped the handle and tried to pull it open. To her surprise, the door swung open easily. She peered into the room beyond the beautiful door, and saw that it was pitch-black. She turned to her demon- slayer friends, a reluctant smile on her face. "Well, the only way to find out what's inside is to go in." The three friends entered the room, not noticing that the door closed on them after all three went in.  
  
Ivy felt fear pierce her heart like a million daggers. She could see nothing but darkness and she heard nothing but the sound of her breathing. She would've reached for her friends' hands, but she knew that they were loyal enough to keep by her through thick and thin. Still, she felt completely alone in the attic. Suddenly, the room was filled with a sudden flash of bright light, the exact opposite of the pitch-black darkness, followed by the sound of thunder. Ivy forced her eyes closed, but even through her eyelids she could see the light. She felt blinded by the sheer brilliance of the room. The sound tore at her sanity like it was nothing more than wet paper. Tears leaked from her closed eyes as she tried to shield herself from the light.  
  
"Rex! Donnia! Where are you?" Ivy called. Eternal silence answered her; she felt her very soul being ripped apart by the white vortex. Then, as quickly as it came, it was over. Ivy wordlessly fell to her knees, her eyes burning and her ears pounding. It seemed like every minute became an eternity. Ivy crouched motionless; the only sign of her living was her steady rise and fall of her chest. She felt a scaly claw kick her right side sharply. A snively voice hissed at her softly.  
  
"Geet up, female. Dey be nothin' on da floor for ye." However it was, it was someone with a thick accent that lengthened vowels. Ivy blinked, testing her eyesight, and looked towards the sound of the strange voice. A hunched-over creature stood over her, leaning on a thick wooden staff. It looked like it was pieced from the leftovers of many different creatures; thick lizard-like legs supported a hefty body covered in green fur. The monster wore a mauve cloak, concealing most of its body except for its legs, arms, and its face. The arms were humanlike in appearance, except that they had claws on each finger and green fur reaching up to its knuckles. Grey skin hid underneath the green fur, giving Ivy a sense that this monster was not living. From her spot on the floor, she couldn't see the monster's face.  
  
"Me naame es Illusion. Ye be messin' wit' somet'in' more powerful dan ye coould understend." Illusion kicked her again with his clawed foot, urging her to get up on her feet. She nearly choked on her own fear when she saw the monster's face. Illusion's face resembled a human, only the jaw had a massive overbite. Illregular jagged teeth poked out of his jaw like daggers. His nose looked like it was broken clear off. To make matters worse, one of his eyes was milky yellow without a pupil while the other eye was green. Illusion had no hair, but instead the ragged green fur reached up to a point behind his pointed ears. It was at that time when Ivy noticed that Rex and Donnia were standing behind Illusion, there eyes filled with worry. Illusion smiled a crooked smile at her. "Are ye goin' da be gaawkin' dere all day or caan we fenish da task at hand?"  
  
Ivy moved like a zombie towards Illusion. She noticed that the attic seemed to be bare of anything but stacked wooden furniture and unmarked barrels. Windows let out shafts of light, and Ivy wondered how Illusion made the room pitch-black without shutting the windows first. He led them towards some unmarked barrels, his clumsy limp slow and unnerving to watch. Wordlessly, he pointed to three barrels, indicating that Ivy and her friends were to sit. The heroes quickly followed Illusion's orders without pause. "Ye fink dat ye caan defeat Morphina, yet ye come here fer more help. I'm here da pretect Morphina's biggest prize of dem all." Illusion leaned against his wooden staff; his lizard-like claws leaving small gashes in the bare wooden floor. Donnia swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat, then became the first one to talk.  
  
"What in heaven's name are you?" Donnia asked. She unsheathed her sword with a metallic ring. "Because if you're a demon, then I'll have no regrets destroying you." Suddenly, they heard a sinister choking sound coming from Illusion, and one could easily guess that he was laughing. "Heh heh. Ye be a nasty one, female. However, I be no mor' of a demon dan yeself. Ya see, I be Morphina's oldes' crush." The room suddenly became deathly still. Ivy felt cold sweat running down her neck. If this was what Morphina did to her boyfriend then what did she do to her mother? She felt all eyes turn to her, and Ivy realized that she had screamed. She rose to her feet, her dagger now present as she advanced towards Illusion. "I want you to answer some more questions; do you know a woman named Rosemary and how did you become like this?"  
  
"Hey, no need fer blades like dat, missie! I be answering, den I be dooing me ordered besiness." Illusion coughed nervously, which sounded like a wounded animal. He turned to his audience; a crooked smile kept on his illregular face. "I be aanswering de second question ferst. Morphina be a sly on'; she caan chang' others appearaances alon' wit' hers. When she find oout dat I be cheating on her wit' dis pirate chic', she punish me in the best waay possible. Rosemary be the on' t'ing I be promised da keep safe. Ya see, I be guardin' da pretty Rosemary meself!" It was these words that made Ivy move towards Illusion, dagger upraised. She was pushed back by an invisible force; like a thunder without sound. She fell on her back as she heard the sound of the choking laughter.  
  
"Hah! Ye t'ink ye caan slay me dat easily? Morphina gave me Rosemary's powers just soo ye caan not be savin' Rosemary! Soo, da maake dis even bette', we be battlin' in da best arena of dem all..." There was a sudden flash of light, then the attic melted away before their eyes. The room became a dark area inside of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Ivy stood motionless in shock. Were they at the real cave, or was this just a trick? She turned her head to see every detail of the familiar cave. Yep, it was real all right, including the purple tainted water that fed the writhing vines beneath them. Donnia and Rex were both in battle poses as if Jano himself would leap out of nowhere to attack. There was brief moment of silence before Illusion broke it. "Why do ye t'ink me name's Illusion? I caan make anyt'in' happen..." Illusion tapped his wooden staff on the ground, and suddenly it morphed into a long sword. "Let da battl' begin!"  
  
With an angry cry, Illusion leapt towards the group of three, slashing the air with his long sword. Donnia blocked it with her own, the metallic sound ringing off the walls. Rex paused, red fire leaping from his fingers. "I, demon of Shadows, call upon the power of my ancestors, so I may defeat my enemies! RED...BLAST!" Illusion screeched as his twisted body was licked with a shower of red flames. Instantly, the red fire disappeared with the same thunderless sound and shot back towards Rex in a counterattack. Rex jumped out of way, but he forgot that he was standing in the poisonous Cave of Bad Dreams. He would've fell into a pit of writhing vines and screaming spirits if he hadn't grabbed onto the ledge at the last moment. "Drac!" Donnia shouted as she sent a bolt of lightning through her sword and at Illusion. Ivy quickly jumped to Rex's aide, and pulled him out of the deadly pit.  
  
"Damn! It's like he's reflecting everything we have!" Rex screamed as Donnia was hit with her own lightning spell. Donnia looked a little worse for the wear, but Illusion still looked the same. With a bounding leap, Illusion latched onto Donnia with his twisted claws and threw her backwards into the wall with amazing strength. With a strangled cry, Donnia was out for the count. Rex quickly rushed to her side to heal her. "Hey! No one hurts my friends and gets away with it!" Ivy cried. Her dagger, now clutched in her right hand tightly, grew white-hot with her staple power; the Tamer's Light. Illusion flashed her another one of his twisted smiles and bounded towards her to meet her blade, his powerful reflection spell ready to use. Illusion never touched her dagger. He instead flew sideways into a cave wall with a pathetic scream. Then, Ivy heard a familiar voice.  
  
"You've picked the wrong place to pick a fight, Illusion!" Jano stood there, his skull staff upraised. Illusion picked himself up and snarled at the Guardian. "Hissss....Ye be Morphina's worse enemy besides da zombi'- tamers. If I brin' baack ye da Morphina, den she be givin' me greet rewaard!" Illusion dove for Jano again, but Ivy was ready for him. As the crazed monster was distracted, Ivy sweeped his belly with the white-hot blade. Illusion gave a strangled whimper and fell to the ground, clutching his injured stomach. Ivy wasted no time. She grabbed the monster and raised him up to eye-level. It was easier than it looked; Illusion was extremely light for his size. She pointed the still-white dagger under his stomach. "Listen, you sorry excuse for a demon, and listen well. I want you to do anything that I say or else you'll be breathing out of a new mouth. Understand?"  
  
Illusion shivered and nodded to Ivy in silent reluctance. Ivy's friends and mentor watched her in great amusement as she interrogated the wraith. "First, I want you to tell me anything you know about Morphina's secrets! Tell me!" She gently jabbed the burning blade in the open wound, but that was enough to make Illusion talk. "Okaay! I giv'! Morphina be keepin' a cloak dat be mor' powerful dan de Veil of Darkness! She also be controllin' a sea demon, but I be hearin' dat he's not too fond of it." Illusion paused as Ivy slightly lowered her blade. She glared at his misshapen face. "How did you get us to the Cave of Bad Dreams?" Again, she quickly jabbed the hot blade towards Illusion's wound. Ivy felt the monster flinch as it choked out the answer. "Teleportation. Rosemary be haavin' dat power lon' aago. I teleported ye here!" By now, the blade's power started to fade. It didn't hurt Illusion as bad when Ivy jammed the blade into his still-open cut.  
  
"Okay Illusion, since you've answered my questions with complete honesty, then I'll be sparing your life. However, if you don't free my mother then I promise you that I'll have no regrets ending your pathetic life!" Fear seemed to radiate off of Illusion's body. Ivy could sense that Illusion didn't have a single courageous bone in his body, and only hid away in the attic because his darling Morphina encouraged him with promises of humanity and power if he did the job right. She smiled, and sheathed the dagger, which had now completely lost all of its power. She turned to Jano. "Jano, warn any magical beings about this! If Morphina has both a demon and the Concealment of Evil on her, then there is no telling how much power she has already obtained." She once again held her gaze on Illusion. "Teleport Rex, Donnia, and me back to the attic, free my mother, and hand over her power. After that, I will free you without anymore scratches in your body. Don't utter a single breath to Morphina, Bane, or a Commander. To seal the deal, I want you to come back to the Cave of Bad Dreams after you've freed my mother and I free you. Tell Jano to fix you a dose of some Elixir of Life. That will change you back into a human again."  
  
"Reaally? Ye be noot lyin'?" Illusion whimpered. Ivy nodded. "If the Elixer of Life accidently kills you, then I'll have to tell Jano to strike me unconscious, okay?" The deal was sealed with another nod from the demonic- looking monster, as Ivy still couldn't chance to put him down. Ivy placed him on the ground, but her friends were still poised in case Illusion was lying. He wasn't. There was the same sudden flash of light as before, and Rex, Donnia, and Ivy appeared in the attic once more. After that, there came a clasp of thunder and suddenly a limp form appeared at Ivy's feet. Ivy gasped; it was her mother Rosemary! "Dere. Dey be Rosemary. I be headin' for da Cave of Bad Dreams now." Illusion disappeared in another flash of light. However, he was ignored as Ivy scooped her mother's still body in her arms. Rosemary looked exactly the same as she did in Ivy's dreams, except her hair was more dirty and unkempt than the flowing red hair in her vision. She was also wearing steel shackles around her legs, which looked vaguely like the cuffs around Bane. Rosemary made a whimpering sound and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Rex and Donnia staring at her in amazement.  
  
Rosemary suddenly jumped to her feet and raised her fists. "Ack! Get away from me, you bloodthirsty scum!" Her voice cracked with weariness and anger mixed together. Ivy had forgotten that they were still wearing Commanders' uniforms. She tried to calm her mother down. "Mom, it's only a disguise to save you from Morphina. Don't you remember me?" Rosemary saw her daughter and instantly became relieved. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her warmly. "Ivy, you shouldn't be up here. What if Illusion-" "Illusion gave up and released you. We came here to make sure you were okay, Mom." She returned the hug. Sadly, Rex had to break them up. "As much as I love touching reunions, we're still on enemy territory. The best thing to do is to head out and meet up with our friends."  
  
Rosemary nodded in agreement. "Yes, but you still shouldn't have come up here. Now that I'm released, Morphina now knows that you're here..."  
  
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The sun settled into the horizon, sending crimson ribbons of red light across the land. Morphina watched as her army assembled at the base of the mansion. Like Rosemary had guessed earlier, Morphina had felt the magic barrier that surrounded Rosemary's soul break with Illusion's commanded magic. Of course, this had been planned by both demon and wraith that if the barrier was broken then Morphina would immediately know subconsciously. She knew very well that her old boyfriend wouldn't just turn his back on her; not when she promised him his returned humanity. The female zombie- tamer must've done it. Ivy Thorn was as close to her mother as honey was to bees. She slammed a fist on a wooden table with inhuman strength, reducing the furniture into splinters.  
  
"Why must these zombie-tamers be so unobtainable? They evaded Rayman, Bane, and Illusion and managed to break out of and into Razoff's Mansion all in the same day! What can stop these little pests?" Morphina shouted to the air. Some Commanders guarding the doors to her room winced in fear that Morphina was yelling at them. Then, an idea formed into her head. Morphina began to pace the room, feeding her plan until it fully blossomed. "I'm a shapeshifter, which means I can take on any form. What if I lured Ivy into a trap by taking on a loved mentor, but what form should I take? I could be her father, her brother, that useless fleabag Freya..." Suddenly; a new idea hit her.  
  
"I can become Jano. It's so simple that even a child could think of it! I can change into Jano's shape, lure Ivy into an ambush, and have my revenge on her personally without the help of her merry friends. Freya, Bad-Rayman, and Davis screwed me over in the past; I'll make sure there will be no intrusions this time! I'll have my army waiting for her friends to follow. My best archers, my best swordsmen..." Morphina began to trail off. She turned to the window in front of her and watched Bane the sea demon as he paced expertly among the troops. With her amazing vision, she saw a lithe shape riding Bane comfortably on the demon's back like a horse rider. She knew exactly who it was. "And to top it all off, the best gunman in the world!"  
  
Morphina's cruel laughter echoed throughout the halls of the mansion....  
  
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End of Chapter 5.  
  
*sob* I'm running low on ideas! ;_; Ack! I'm feeling as if this story is coming apart... Any suggestions?  
  
Preview of the sixth chapter of Concealment of Evil (title pending. May be final chapter):  
  
Rayman, Freya, Bad-Rayman, Davis, and Globox finally meet up with Ivy, Donnia, Rex, and Rosemary, bringing the large group of heroes together and ready to meet up with Morphina. However, just when they come together, they finally see the true powers of the Concealment of Evil. It turns out that the Concealment of Evil brings out the true evil of even the meekest of creatures, increasing their power and abilities as well. Combined with spellbinding, the Concealment of Evil can change a normal person into an evil creature with powers almost matching a demon's. Unfortunately, the first test subject will be a certain arrogant sniper...  
  
Luckily, it seems that the group of heroes will find help in the most unsuspected of places, along with the power to destroy the Concealment of Evil and Morphina once and for all. However, nothing is ever presented without strings attached...  
  
I hope that I get the next chapter in faster than I usually do! ^_^  
  
If you remember exactly what I said in the past four chapters, then you know that I expect reviews. Send me an review, or I'll fill your life with misery and woe! (Okay, not really...) 


	6. Nothing is Ever Easy

Concealment of Evil: "Nothing is Ever Easy..."  
  
Author's Notes: By now, these little footnotes are probably bugging you. :p I never thought Concealment of Evil would be this long, so this isn't the last chapter. Instead, the last chapter will be about one or two chapters away, if things go right.  
  
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"This way! We must not be caught off-guard!"  
  
"Hurry! I don't think any of us want to be in Morphina's care!"  
  
Ivy Thorn, Rex Skyler, Donnia Starhunter, and Rosemary Thorn all dashed through the mansion as a single charging force. Concealment of presence was forgotten; they rushed by resting Commanders without bothering to cover their identity. Behind them, a group of irritated soldiers chased after them, yelling obscene phrases at the reckless team of heroes. Ivy cursed to herself as she ran through the mansion for letting herself fall into a well- placed alarm like that. Why didn't she ask Illusion about any hidden bugs? Why did she forget about the little magical quirks that Morphina liked to use? Why did she forget the small things? "Don't feel down. You did your best, Ivy." Donnia seemed to feel exactly what Ivy was thinking. Ivy nodded, but she didn't slow as the group raced on. They were almost to the main entrance. They couldn't afford to slow down now...  
  
Suddenly, a group of armed creatures jumped to greet them. Ivy's mother shouted a wordless warning and everyone skidded to a stop. At the same time, both groups drew their weapons against each other. The group of armed creatures then became familiar, and Ivy was the first to recognize them. "Davis! What in heaven's name are you doing here, and why are you wearing *that*?" Davis grinned heartily at his sister's comment, his stained clothing hidden underneath flexible chain mail. "We decided to go after you to tell you about our mother's imprisonment but from the looks of it, you didn't need our help after all." Rosemary quickly cut her daughter off before Ivy could make a comment. "We need to leave now! We're all in danger if we linger in here!"  
  
There was no need for other words, the combined team of mismatched heroes ran towards the main entrance and burst out of the house into the opening. Everyone was relieved to be finally out of the accursed mansion. However, they weren't out of the danger yet. In fact, they were a lot safer in the mansion. When Bane and Razoff fought each other to the death, their fight woke up every Commander in the swamp. After Bane and Razoff became friends, Morphina ordered her horde members to stay alert and guard the mansion in case anybody suspicious exited the mansion. Nine people with armor and weapons dashing out of the main entrance at full speed seemed suspicious enough for them. Now, a large swarm of wide-awake Commanders surrounded them, spear tips and sword points each pointed at chest level. Ivy bit her lip until blood ran freely down her lip. They would've had a better chance of survival if they jumped out of a window!  
  
"Well, it looks like this mansion has a bit of a vermin problem!" The group parted, and suddenly the demonic Morphina stepped into view. Everyone in Ivy's party tensed, each one waiting for any chance of escape. Morphina didn't present much of a choice. She stood importantly, her human shape as beautiful and as shapely as women could possibly get. She gave a quick hand gesture and suddenly Bane walked into view with Razoff still riding onto his back, his strides as lowly as a goaded pet on a leash. Morphina smiled at the group, but Ivy knew that the smile was directed towards her. "It's a good thing that I know how to get rid of zombie-tamer vermin. How will you like your death? Do you want it quick and painless, or paaaainfully slow?"  
  
Ivy held up her dagger, it's blade gleaming orange in dusk's half-light. "I'll take none of the above, you evil demon! I'd rather see you die first!" At this shout out, Morphina began to chuckle. Her laughter made Ivy's anger boil within her like hot water. Morphina held up a graceful hand and snapped her fingers. A shapeless shadow materialized from the depths of the bared crowd and went to Morphina's aide. The shapeless wraith- like thing curled around Morphina's hand like a swirling, pulsating necklace. The shadow was as pitch-black as the Veil of Darkness, only it was acting like a living thing and it was much smaller and compact. Morphina pointed towards the writhing mass of shadows with her other hand. "This is the Concealment of Evil. Before I tear you limb from limb, it'd be best to show you the very thing that has frightened zombie-tamers for eons!"  
  
The Concealment of Evil suddenly began to expand until it was the size of Morphina's head. She glanced at the group of heroes like they were nothing, then pointed at the bodyguard standing to her right side. The guard was none other than Ruby-Eye's best friend, a burly man with as much scars running down his chest as there were hairs on his head. The Concealment of Evil then coiled like an angry cobra and shot itself at the unsuspecting man. Before the guard had any idea of what was going on, the Concealment of Evil wrapped itself around the Commander, shrouding him in a dark mist. Everyone in Ivy's team stood as motionless as statues as they watched the swirling mass of darkness thrash and writhe. After what had seemed an eternity, the Concealment of Evil let go of its victim and returned to Morphina's hand.  
  
Ivy and Davis's jaws dropped, Rosemary felt her pulse stop, Rayman felt all hope leave him, Globox fainted, Donnia and Rex dropped their weapons in shock, and the two ex-Commanders suddenly felt their blood turn to ice. A clawed demon stood where the guard once was, sharp black scales gleaming unnaturally in the light of dusk. It was a twisted parody of the guard that was, complete with shiny pink scars running down its bare chest and slimy green hair running down from the top of its serpentine head to its strong shoulder blades. Morphina patted the monster's head like it was nothing more than a trained house-pet. "Don't you see, Ivy Thorn? The Concealment of Evil is the reason why even the god of this world cannot stop me. Jano managed to take my Concealment away from me those many years ago, but he wasn't enough to stop me from obtaining it again! You have no chance of survival at all!"  
  
Ivy's back became coated with cold sweat. She opened her mouth to speak, but it flapped uselessly. How can she beat Morphina now if she can create demons out of anyone with the Concealment of Evil? She flinched when Rosemary grabbed her shoulder gently. "Remember this well, my dear. No matter how dark the path may seem, the Tamer's Light will guide you." Rosemary whispered into her ear. Ivy gave her mom a confused look, as if to say 'this isn't the time for cryptic phrases'. She then heard Morphina talk to them again, her voice really calm and collected considering the events taking place. "I thought the zombie-tamers would prove a great threat to me. I thought the fairy races would give the magic of the Tamers to a bloodline that would create an army as great as mine, find weapons capable of destroying any demon Bane's size, and befriend warriors of great talent. What do I end up facing? Two teenagers and their mother with some ragtag bunch of demon-slayers, two limbless misfits, a mutt with an attitude, and an overweight frog. I think I'm wasting my time." Morphina motioned to Bane, who quizzingly lowered his head to meet hers. "Bane, destroy everyone but the two teenagers; save them for me. Make sure you do it as painfully as possible." Bane narrowed his eyes at his demon oppressor.  
  
"No." everyone turned to him in shock. Bane lifted his head back at its reasonable height. His eyes were narrowed and filled with unshed tears. "I will never tear the flesh of another innocent. My shackles were to remind me of my wrong deeds, and now I must make sure I never do it again!" With amazing dexterity, he dealt both Morphina and her demonic bodyguard with a well-aimed swipe of his finned tail. The Commanders instantly shrunk back, afraid of the demon's power, and ran to their maiden's need. Then, Bane lowered his body to the group of heroes, who were watching Bane with a mix of mistrust and confusion. "Get on my back! If you don't hurry, you will see what an enraged demon can really do!" That settled all doubts. Everyone in Ivy's team hopped onto Bane's back and grabbed onto his jutting scales for support.  
  
Bane dashed in the direction of the Cave of Bad Dreams, his powerful strides almost knocking his riders off his back. "This sure beats riding that rusty cannonball! Yeeha!" Razoff exclaimed to his friends as he braced himself on the powerful demon. Bane didn't even glance once behind his back to check on Morphina's progress or the well being of his riders, afraid that he would only slow them down. No one had problems holding onto Bane's scales; even Globox, who was still unconscious from his big scare, was held on by Freya and Rayman. However, Morphina wasn't through with them yet. She rose to her feet, watching the traitorous demon go. Her eyes became burning coals as rage consumed her.  
  
"Attack, my lovely veil! Drag them to my will!" Morphina commanded the Concealment of Evil in a loud demanding tone. The veil shot itself towards the running demon at an impossible speed, forming the shape of a pitch- black comet. It grabbed the three closest people in reach. Razoff, Rex, and Donnia were dragged off of Bane in one fell swoop before they had any idea what was happening. The three hunters landed on their back almost at the same time, their breath knocked out of their bodies in an instant. When they got off the ground, they could see Bane's shape streaking across the ground at lightning speed away from them.  
  
"Don't worry my lovely bunch of traitors, you'll see your friends again." Donnia, Rex, and Razoff turned their heads in unison at the sound of Morphina's voice. They saw Morphina standing behind them, the Concealment of Evil wrapped around her waist and her lower lip cut and bleeding. They noticed that her blood wasn't bright red, but rather dark enough to be considered black. Morphina wiped a gentle hand across her lip, ridding her of the excess blood. "Your friends got lucky. I let my guard down on that foolish sea serpent. He has quite amazing strength if he can cause me, the greatest demon of all time, to shed blood." Morphina licked her lips, running her tongue against the cut. "However, I won't make the same mistake again. You three will be very helpful to me."  
  
Morphina suddenly burst out laughing, despite her fresh wounds. That was the last thing the three slayers saw before everything became engulfed by a swirling vortex of pitch-black.  
  
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Bane never slowed, his bounding strides almost knocking the wind out of his passengers. Bane ignored every obstacle in his way as his powerful girth knocked away any foreign objects. He ran for about ten more minutes before he stopped at a great oak tree in the middle of the swamp. Ivy smiled in glee; they had arrived at the entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Bane knelt down, letting everyone off on dry land. He was standing in swamp water and mud, his sea bound soul feeling the pleasure of cold water lap his feet once again. When everyone was off, he gave a wandering glance towards the group.  
  
He found the points of several blades and a hand cannon pointed at his throat. "Okay, start talking you demon!" Rosemary shouted. Bane swallowed nervously, his throat still sore from the fight he had with Razoff. "What do I have to say? I saved your life back there, and I brought you to the Cave of Bad Dreams! What more is there to know?" The weapons lowered slightly at this shout out, but Rosemary still held hers up. "We want to know why! Demons are supposed to help each other through thick and thin, no matter what the cost is. I bet there's an ambush waiting for us here, you demonic slime-sucker!" Bane flinched when he suddenly realized with a wave of sorrow that Rosemary was one of the demon-slayers that had imprisoned him. No wonder she doesn't believe in my actions, Bane thought. Nervously, he lifted his head to look at the sky through the swamp trees. He saw that the sky was starting to turn dark. Bane bit his tongue, because he heard from Morphina that the Concealment of Evil gained more power after dusk.  
  
"Okay demon-slayer, I'll tell you exactly why I helped you. Just put your blade away before you get anymore ideas." Rosemary's blade disappeared, along with the weapons of the others. Finally, Bane began his explanation. "Even before I was imprisoned, I hated Morphina with all of my heart. She had always wanted power on both the land and the sea. The greedy little witch would do anything to obtain power, even if it meant taking the lives of both plant and animal in large areas. My species thought differently, so my pack grew to loathe her. Since we weren't on her side she retentively tried to capture and spellbind us. Morphina was breaking many rules in this process; demons usually either ignore or help each other, but never hinder or harm one another. I finally showed her that I wouldn't follow her ways by attacking her Commanders while they were taking refuge on a beach coast I often visited. I snapped the spines of over thirty Commanders that night with my teeth alone."  
  
Bane smiled as he saw the same awed expression etched on everyone's faces. He continued without much delay. "After that, Morphina and I never bothered each other. It wasn't until the fairies' price on my head before she started noticing. She sent Commanders to kill me, because if they gained a reward then she would have more power. After I was spellbound by fairy magic, I began to realize that my dark intentions were as dark as Morphina's. As I slept in that dark tower, I would dream endless dreams of the lives I've killed and ruined. I would see girls crying because their lovers would never return, babies left homeless because their parents were on a boat I destroyed, children whimpering because they would never see their big brother again, and elders weeping until they fell asleep because their son or daughter was killed with my own two claws. It was those dreams that changed me; I now I am no longer like my kin. It took Razoff to make me realize that the chains I wore were to help me, not imprison me." Bane lowered his head until his chin touched his chest. "I was just too blind to see the possibility before. No wonder demon-slayers are of such need nowadays."  
  
"Speaking of Razoff, where is he?" Freya exclaimed, spelling the end to Bane's story. Suddenly, Ivy began to fret. "Oh no!" She cried, "Donnia and Rex are gone too! They must've fallen off while we were escaping Morphina!" Rosemary shook her head in sadness. "There will be no use finding them now. If Morphina has them, then she would've used the Concealment of Evil on them..." Everyone in the party of heroes felt their blood turn to ice. Ivy wrapped her arms around her body as if to ward off a sudden chill. She turned her head to the darkening woods and mist that cloaked the Marshes of Awakening and then turned to her mother. Rosemary could see that a fire had sparked behind her eyes. "Then that means we'll cover our backs! If Morphina's Veil of Darkness can be defeated, then the Concealment of Evil must have a weakness as well! We'll just have to find a way how!"  
  
"Did someone mention the Concealment of Evil?" A rough voice called. Everyone turned to the source of the voice almost in unison. Lo and behold, Jano was walking (if you could call it that.) towards them at a steady pace, a lit lantern carried along with him. Upon closer inspection they saw Illusion, wrapped with his precious cloak, following Jano. He was carrying something in a basket, but it was too wrapped in blankets to be seen. In the light of the glowing lantern, Ivy could see that Illusion was now a handsome-looking man in his mid-thirties with curling green hair. Soon, they were standing in the midst of the group, the lantern giving off much- needed light. Illusion sat down wordlessly beside Jano as he returned to the subject at hand. "The Concealment of Evil is a fearsome demon magic that cannot be warded with just about anything. From what I heard, a few of your friends got caught in the Concealment of Evil. Am I correct?"  
  
Freya answered. "Yes. Donnia, Rex, and Razoff are all missing and we're guessing that Morphina used the Concealment on them. In these circumstances, it's best to go with the darkest outcome first." Jano murmured in agreement. "If we be helpin' ye, den ye should ferst tells us what happened between Morphina and ye, starting with de ferst Commander fight!" Illusion stated. It was settled then. The group told their story of adventure, starting with the Commanders' visit in Bluddwiek. Each traveler had a different point of view that interested the others. Freya told of the fight against Striker the fox, Davis told about how he ended up with Razoff, Rayman and his counterpart excitedly exclaimed about the fights they won, Bane told about how he befriended the Count and why he turned against Morphina, and Ivy told about the ruins of Menhir Fort. Every once in a while, Jano would stop the storyteller to ask about a detail left out. The combined stories took more time than Ivy expected it to take. When they were finished, the moon was high in the sky, bathing the swamplands with milky light.  
  
"That fight we had earlier wasn't Illusion's first time in the Cave of Bad Dreams. That's why I could recognize him and distract him by warding off his magic." By now, a campfire was lit in the campsite that the group of fighters stayed at; a dry area of land closest to the Cave of Bad Dreams. Ivy immediately felt how ironic the situation was that they were making a final stand in the same place they did six months ago. Of course, they didn't have a large sea demon standing guard six months ago. Also, Jano handed them something even more important than knowledge; roast chicken. When Illusion handed the warriors their dinner, Ivy realized how hungry she was. With the power of a jackal, Ivy and her friends tore at their food to satisfy their aching stomachs. Strangely, Bane was the only one without an appetite; instead, he snapped up any leftovers and inedible parts the heroes threw at him. When they were finished eating, Jano explained the rest of what they needed to know about the Concealment.  
  
"A few weeks ago, Illusion transported himself into the Cave of Bad Dreams to steal something. He caught me off-guard, seeing as he knew that I would be teaching Davis and Ivy how to control their magic better. He found what he was looking for in my treasure room; the Concealment of Evil itself. It was in a locked chest, but he smashed that open easily. Inside, the Concealment of Evil was hid; dormant and in the shape of a pure black orb. The Concealment of Evil comes from a breed of cloaks that do various things, and when they have no orders to uphold they form the shape of an orb about the size of a fist. When Morphina woke it up, it was hers and only hers to command." Jano reached into the basket, which had lain by his side throughout the dinner. He brushed aside the blankets and produced several longneck bottles made of emerald. Their stoppers were crafted to look like perched falcons. "This is the cure to the Concealment of Evil."  
  
"Really? You mean that if we pour it on someone infected by the Concealment it cures him or her?" Freya asked breathlessly. Illusion shook his head. "If it be dat simpl', den anybody could do it! It be needin' somet'ing more..." Then, Illusion slipped off his long cloak, and revealed that he was wearing a solid black tunic. Strapped to his side was a hilt with a sword contained inside. Illusion slipped off the hilted sword and tossed it to Ivy, who caught it easily. "Dat be yers, missie." Illusion hissed. Ivy unsheathed the sword, and saw that it was made out of a white glassy material that made it seem like it was worthless. To have Ivy test it out, Illusion threw a block of marble the size of Ivy's head. Ivy swiped at the block, and much to her surprise, cut through the marble like a hot blade through butter. When she saw what the sword did to the marble, her jaw dropped. "That is the Tamer's Sword, and I think it belongs to you. Before you ask, I couldn't give the sword to you six months ago during the War of the Souls because the Tamer's Sword only appears when the Concealment of Evil is released. The blade's sole purpose is to be the Concealment of Evil's poison. When the Concealment of Evil is destroyed, so is the sword."  
  
Jano held up one of the unusual green bottles. "These bottles are filled with the Elixir of Life. If you find your friends and they are imprisoned by the Concealment of Evil, then you must use it or else the Concealment of Evil will keep a hold on their bodies until they die. Coat the blade with the medicine, enough to cover one or two sides of the blade, before you face your friends. When you do, you must press the coated side of the blade to their skin and send the Tamer's Light through the sword. If done correctly, the Concealment of Evil will leave the body without taking the life as well. I know it doesn't sound easy, but the only other ways of freeing them would be to kill them. There is no other way." Jano shrugged to his awestruck group. Ivy glanced at the sword warily, as if to plea for an easier way. Bane swished his tail with indifference as he listened to the Guardian. "When you face the Concealment of Evil's core, the blade alone will suffice. However, I can't properly say that your spellbound friends won't give up without a fight, or that Morphina will use the Concealment of Evil in different purposes that I haven't discovered yet."  
  
Without anymore talk passed between them, the group of heroes drifted off into a fitful slumber, dreaming of the danger that would come tomorrow.  
  
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Bang!  
  
The echoing sound of a gunshot filled the swamplands. Ivy, Freya, Rosemary and Bad-Rayman shot up almost in unison from their sleeping positions. Rayman, Globox, and Davis still slept on, still undisturbed by the sudden noise. Bane was glaring at the direction of the sound, his teeth bared into a snarl. Jano and Illusion were immediately getting ready for any sudden attacks. "I know that sound anywhere. That wasn't any ordinary gun; that was one of Razoff's custom fittings!" Bane hissed to his companions. His scales rose on his back like an irritated feline. At Bane's words, Ivy quickly grabbed a bottle of Jano's curing oil to coat the Tamer's Sword with, along with her hunting knife in case she wasn't facing Razoff but a Commander with a gun. Freya and Bad-Rayman joined her too, but they didn't bother to wake up the others for stealth purposes. Three fighters were less noticeable than six that's for sure. Rosemary sat up in her makeshift bed and watched her daughter prepare herself. Rosemary herself couldn't fight- that era of her life was over-instead, she gave her daughter helpful advice.  
  
"Don't coat the blade immediately; only if you know the identity of the attacker. That way, not a drop will be wasted. After all, the Elixir of Life is the most powerful healing device we have at our disposal!" Ivy nodded in agreement, then set out to the direction of the noise with her friends. With a quick good-bye, the small group disappeared into the dark.  
  
The swamp was too quiet, even for nighttime. Ivy glanced around nervously as she heard no owls, coyotes, frogs, or crickets. Freya clutched her sword until her knuckles turned white. The three heroes glanced at each other to make sure that none of them strayed away, but they didn't want to reveal themselves with any conversation. It wasn't until they stepped into an area surrounded by tall swamp trees that the hidden attacker came out of their hiding places. It was too dark to see at this time of night; instead, they saw three slick shadows emerge from the mist. The attackers' eyes glowed red like embers, and their breath was visible in the night's cold air. The three shapes stood unmoving, as if hoping to scare off their intruders.  
  
Freya took a step forward, almost like she was meeting an unspoken challenge. Boom! A bullet hit Freya's left paw with amazing speed. Freya fell backwards, but it was more from the swiftness of the blow than the pain. Her foot instantly became coated in her own blood. At the sight of fresh blood, the monsters were immediately on them. The monsters divided themselves up intelligently to meet their attackers; one for each of their prey. Ivy was shoved to the ground by her opponent, causing the wind to be knocked out of her. Bad-Rayman and Freya backed up until their backs touched as they sent two different rays of magic at their foes. Despite her new wound, Freya stood on both feet as she chanted the runes needed for battle magic.  
  
Ivy's blade illuminated with the Tamer's Light, giving her more visibility. She saw her attacker more clearly now, and could spot the pink scars on the monster's chest and large serpentine head. By now, the monster's breath on her face became unbearable. She knew who the attacker was; Morphina's bodyguard that she demonstrated the Concealment on. Good, Ivy thought, then I'll have no regrets! She shoved the hot blade upwards, and pinned the monster like a bug in a collection box. The Commander that was gave one final screech and fell limp. With one solid movement of her arm, she tossed the corpse aside as she met the attackers with her glowing sword. Whizz! A stray bullet missed Ivy's torso by just a few inches and hit the ground near her. Ivy held the sword up like a lantern, and could spot a lithe creature scurrying through the treetops with a gun in tow. I'll free you later Razoff, Ivy concluded. First, I have to help my friends.  
  
Freya was shocked to see that her attacker wasn't even hurt by her bursts of fire magic. She raised her hands to cast more flames, only to be hit by magical fire shot from the monster's fingers. Freya landed to the ground back first, winding her. The monster bent down to greet her, and opened its fanged mouth to feed off of her. Whack! Freya kicked him hard in the chest with both of her feet, including the injured one. The monster stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, the wind forced out of him. "Hah! I'm not your basic damsel in distress after all!" Freya shouted at her opponent. Meanwhile, Bad-Rayman was dodging bursts of blue lightning with several parries and thrusts he taught himself over the years. Wait, why do these spells seem familiar? The ex-Commanders considered this in their heads almost in unison. With a single uppercut of his powerful fist, his enemy fell to the ground in a daze.  
  
Ivy held her sword to the closest monster so she could see its identity after Freya got off from the ground and Bad-Rayman came over to look. All three of them gasped in shock. The person who attacked Bad-Rayman was Donnia, or as least it *was* Donnia. Her delicate fingers were now curved into claws, and her mouth was forced open by rows of fangs. Her skin was a dark green, a natural camouflage. Her tunic was ripped in various places by jutting scales. Her shoes were no longer present, as her feet were now clawed and dangerous. However, her natural form was more visible than the Commander was, and Freya guessed it was because she was more pure of heart. Above their heads, their other attacker shouted obscene phrases that they recognized when he discovered he had no ammo. With not another word, the Razoff monster ran off.  
  
"Leave him, Ivy. Heal Donnia first." Freya demanded when she saw Ivy Thorn rise to retrieve Razoff. The zombie-tamer nodded in agreement, and coated the glowing blade with the Elixir of Life. As she did so, Bad-Rayman propped Donnia up while he kept a strong hold on her. Ivy then pressed the slimy blade to Donnia's back and sent as much of the Tamer's Light's power as she could submit through the blade. The Donnia monster thrashed, and began to shape shift as a dark aura rose from her back. When all of the Concealment escaped her body, Donnia was now normal and lying in torn clothing. Donnia opened her eyes, saw her friends, then immediately started to cry from both the confusion of the situation and the sudden guilt that had hit her like a sucker punch. Freya reassured her by patting her bruised back as Ivy got up from the ground. "Okay, now it's time for Rex!" Ivy shouted. She turned to where Rex lay, and saw that he wasn't there. In fact, the only sign that he was ever there was the uprooted patch of grass where he had fallen.  
  
"One of them is better than none, anyways. We'll sure to help them tomorrow." Bad-Rayman said. Ivy didn't reply; instead, she noticed that there was a sudden gust of wind blowing through the trees, giving the swamps a ghastly air to it. Without another word, Ivy sheathed the sword and motioned for her friends to go back. They did, each one keeping a steady enough walk where they would reach the camp in little time. After all, they felt that they needed all the energy they could come up with for tomorrow.  
  
Because tomorrow will finally put Ivy and her friends to the test...  
  
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"Rex, did everything go to plan? Do we have them in the palm of our hands?"  
  
Morphina was interrogating both Rex and Razoff on her first part of her new plan. Bane's side-switch gave Morphina new ways to snare the annoying freedom fighters, especially since Bane and Razoff were now the best of friends. The Concealment of Evil was right beside her, a shapeless ball of shadows floating by her head. She showed the heroes how the Concealment of Evil used its power, but she didn't tell them that she could regulate how much of the Concealment of Evil's magic was placed into the victim. She had purposely made the Concealment use as little magic as possible on both the Commander and Donnia.  
  
She didn't use the same technique on Rex and Razoff, Morphina added with a smirk. She used the Concealment's magic to its fullest, making Rex and Razoff capable fighting machines. Morphina had to admit that she admired the two, especially since one of them already had some demon heritage running through his blood. The boy's friend Donnia managed to keep it a secret from all of her friends, to avoid any conflict, but anyone with the talent of mind reading could see exactly what Rex was. He was vampire- spawn, of a wiped-out race, something that was shunned in throughout most of the lands. Unlike most stories, his kind were not allergic to sunlight, crosses, garlic, and they didn't need to feed every day. However, he did have amazing powers to heal and a hidden blood lust that would spring up during the full moon. The Concealment of Evil saw to it that his powers would be unleashed without the boundaries of friends, pity, and caring.  
  
Rex saluted, his hands still human-looking but with claws. "Yes. They fell for the bait. They actually believe that I ended up like Donnia and your bodyguard; that I was a slow, scaly ogre creature! Razoff also did well; he shot the wolf-girl." Rex licked his lips. "He didn't kill her, but it did shed some blood. I'll make sure that I'll get more from her, whether she likes it or not!" Rex had become something that Morphina admired. He had sprouted large wings covered in dark purple feathers, like that of a carrion bird. He kept them folded behind his back most of the time, but he could fly really well with them if needed. His face remained human and his hair was still light purple and spiky, only his crimson eyes glew soulless with anger and blood lust. His fangs, usually small enough to conceal them, were lengthened and easily visible. He wore a swirling cloak, still covered with Freya's blood where she kicked him.  
  
He had concealed himself from discovery by making him look like Donnia. It wasn't shape-shifting, but an illusion that only special magic could see through. Rayman and Jano would've seen it, but Bad-Rayman had not because his mind was clouded with thoughts of Freya. Rex smiled, flashing dazzling teeth, as he considered it. Yes, the Rayman counterpart was worried over Freya with mixed emotions that he didn't share. The ex-Commander was talented in concealing emotions, but he was clouded by a hidden love for Freya. Morphina knew that as well, which was probably why she stuck them together. If she could get a hold of Freya, Bad-Rayman would anything she could demand, even giving up his free will on Freya's account. However, Morphina didn't count on Freya to be such an agile fighter.  
  
"I don't think this will work, your Majesty. Ivy has the Tamer's Sword and a way to ward the Concealment of Evil!" Razoff replied. Morphina groaned; the Concealment of Evil was not as overpowering over the will as her own spellbinding magic. Concealed victims would still ask questions; something Morphina hated to take care of. Oh well, at least they were loyal enough. Besides, the Concealment of Evil works better if the victim's soul is filled with hate and greed, and Count Razoff had a pretty black soul indeed. His demon form had enough power to slay Bane even without a gun, which is Morphina's one purpose for the Count. She sighed to the demonic little gunman, then said, "The Tamer's Sword is useless without any Elixir of Life to back it up. Jano's the only person available to make any, and he's as good as dead." Morphina made a horizontal finger motion across her neck to prove her point.  
  
"How are you going to do that? You failed the last time you tried to!" Razoff shouted. He was still arrogant, just like his original form. He still has a mouth to match his ego, Morphina thought warily. She had to keep her temper in check as she answered through clenched teeth. "Listen, Jano only got away because Ivy was there to help her. No worries, because I'll lure her away from him. As soon as she's not providing protection for him, I'll rip him to pieces faster than you can say 'zombie chicken'. If you remember Razoff, your main purpose is to attack Bane, Rex is to kill Ivy's friends, and I'll destroy the Cave of Bad Dreams to start my world conquest!"  
  
With that, she turned and left the demonic creatures to tend to the army. After all, she won't be caught off guard this time.  
  
Ivy can make sure of that!  
  
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See? It's not the last chapter after all! ^_^ Bet you didn't know that Rex was a vampire. Heh, well that was Ryoko's idea in the first place, but I forgot to put it into good use in the first story. Now, Donnia and Rex are important! I'm trying to make everyone important this time around, unlike in Veil of Darkness where I stuck characters in for pleasure.  
  
Preview of the next chapter:  
  
The drums of war echo in the distance, and they seem louder with every hour. Everyone in Ivy's party have a role to be played in the coming events. For Rosemary, she has a prophecy to put into play. For Rayman and Globox, they have to find a way to alert any magical creatures for possible reinforcements. For Donnia and Bane, they have to choose between losing their life or losing their friends in a battle of shedded blood and tears. For the two ex-Commanders, they will learn something about each other when they're face-to-face with a force to be reckoned with. And finally, the two Thorn siblings learn that the only thing between failure and accomplishment is hope itself...  
  
Remember to review. I'm pouring my talent into this piece you know, and you can't have gone this far without some kind of comment! :) 


	7. The Fate that Binds us Together

The Fate That Binds Us Together  
  
Note: This is the final chapter! :) I'm sorry it took so long, but I had some Mastery Tests to study for.  
  
Notes2: Ryoko, I made Donnia and Rex a couple. You wanted that, right?  
  
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"...No matter how dark the path may seem, the Tamer's Light will guide you..."  
  
Dawn's first light crept over the horizon of the swamplands, sending rays of warm, comforting sunlight across the lands. Everyone in the small camp had woken up, either willingly or by careful word of his or her elders. The fire still glowed, only it was now nothing more than smoldering embers. Ivy poked at the fire, watching the flames dance at the touch of her stick. Davis was still groggy as he tried futilely to rub the sleep from his eyes. Globox and Rayman were talking light-heartedly about events that were a lot better than the one they were in right now. The two ex-Commanders were out of sight; hunting for brush animals and setting a patrol around the camp. Freya's foot had healed almost completely from its injury thanks to the Elixir of Life. Bane, Illusion, Jano, and Rosemary all wore solemn masks and Ivy couldn't tell exactly what they were thinking.  
  
Rosemary's words still echoed in Ivy's head like a bad headache. She still poked at the fire, sending sparks into the air to take her thoughts off her mother's phonetic message. She didn't notice her breakfast until Rayman shoved it right under her nose. "Ivy, you haven't even looked at your food! A zombie-tamer has to eat also!" Rayman said playfully as he handed her some bread, meat, and dried fruit on a plate. (Hmmm....Must be a morning person...) Ivy snatched the tray away from the limbless creature with a sense of indifference, and started to tear at her meal with her head still full of clouded thoughts. Damnit, why couldn't she live a normal life like all the children in the towns, cities, and suburbs that Ivy kept hearing about?  
  
Why did I have to be so different? The Tamer's Light is only a weapon used to kill demons, not something that will help me live my life! By now, her food had been swallowed without Ivy actually tasting it. Giving her meaningless quest for answers up, Ivy put on her battle gear and went to sit on a heavy branch, waiting for the first sign of war. "Is this whole ordeal of Morphina getting to you?" Ivy turned her head and saw Rayman sitting next to her, looking out into the heavy mist of the swamplands. Ivy nodded. "You've read my mind..." She droned mindlessly as she let her eyesight wander. She felt a solid hand pat her left shoulder. "I know that feeling. I've been in so many cold, long battles that I've long since grown cold in the face of danger. In the times of Mister Dark I was young and inexperienced, but when I faced off against Andre and the black lums I couldn't even flinch when I felt the metallic touch of a hoodlum's gun on my face."  
  
"I wish I could be brave like you. If I were like you, then I would've prevented Donnia, Rex, and Razoff from being handed to Morphina." Rayman raised an eyebrow. "How? Even I didn't notice until it was too late. Even heroes make mistakes sometimes, but believe me when I say that you're hero material." Ivy glared at Rayman's shimmering blue eyes, then tossed a pebble into a sinkhole. "Some hero. I'm trapped in a prison of mud without any idea what to do next! You've heard what Morphina said to me. She said that I wasn't worth her time! I'm going to fail, and what's going to happen then? My family, my friends, and the Cave of Bad Dreams are all going to be torched by demon venom. Rayman wanted to offer more emotional support, but he felt that he already did his part just by being at her side.  
  
"Ivy, I-" Whoosh! A furry shape ran through the underbrush and halted just in front of the smoldering campfire. It was Freya, panting and wet from perspiration. She took a few seconds to pick the leaves out of her hair and catch her breath before she informed them of the news. "You'll never believe this, but the Marshes of Awakening are knee-deep in those clawed demons the Concealment of Evil creates!" Everyone passed a glance to his or her neighbor, and everyone saw the same mask of worry on the other's face. Rayman and Ivy bit their lips in unison. "WHAT!?! You mean she used the Concealment on EVERYONE!?!" Davis shouted. Freya nodded in agreement. "That's what Bad-Rayman said. He's still out there, checking their progress. It won't be long before we're cut off from any escape."  
  
"In other words..." Rayman started but couldn't find the right words to finish. Freya finished for him.  
  
"Morphina has us surrounded."  
  
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"Oh...my...God..."  
  
Freya had to pull Ivy down into the bushes to keep her from being seen. Not that the creatures would've noticed anyways. Where the Marshes of Awakening met with a steep decline into a bayou-filled basin, Morphina's army lay. Ivy knew where they were; the Valley of Mud, an unimportant place that was surrounded by higher swampland in every direction like a bowl. Trees and brush had been torn away in the valley, creating a bare sloping battlefield of mud, mist, and rock. The army was no longer filled with bumbling Commanders, but rather consisted of creatures that came from the depths of nightmares that have plagued mankind. Rayman took the risk of revealing himself by rising to his feet and peering downwards to see if he could pick out Rex, Razoff, or the slimy mistress Morphina. He sighed in defeat when all he could see was a mass of twisted scales, claws, teeth, and wings. "And that's not all of them. The monster posted scouting parties in every direction!" Freya stated.  
  
"I guess the only choice is to go down there and find Morphina ourselves!" Davis suggested. Bane shook his head. He was crouched behind some heavily grown trees, shielding his heavy body from being spotted. "That wouldn't work, even if it worked six years ago. Commanders are stupid and have thoughts of their own. Demons made from the Concealment of Evil are made to destroy. If we go down there, then we might as well take a tombstone with us!" Ivy grumbled a curse under her breath, and patted the Tamer's Sword as if its touch alone would give her the answer. "Hisss...De Dragon be right, ye know. If we be fightin' Morphina, den we need a force as big as hers." Illusion said as he sat perched on Bane's back. There was a moment of collected silence, until...  
  
"The fairies!" Rayman shouted. Everyone turned to him, mixed expressions etched on their faces. "The fairies? Those pixies couldn't even defend themselves against Razorbeard and Mister Dark! What makes you think that they can defeat Morphina?" Bad-Rayman inquired with an edge to his voice. Rayman quickly shot down his rude remark. "The fairies can't defeat Morphina, but they could at least hinder the army. I could signal Ly, and she can build an entire army of fairies for us to use! An army with that much magic could at least give us a chance to defeat Morphina without any interference." The group murmured in agreement. Ivy smiled, but she hid it behind her empty palm. Rayman was a way better leader than she was, and she could see it perfectly.  
  
"Even so, how can you call them here this fast? Sooner or later Morphina is going to send her army in this direction to destroy the Cave of Bad Dreams. By the time reinforcements get here, it'll probably be too late." Freya interjected. Rayman grinned and held his hands up until his fingertips touched the sides of his head. "Watch and keep quiet." Rayman stated, and then closed his eyes. Everyone else watched him with looks of confusion and doubt clouding their faces. Ivy knew what he was doing; Rayman was using his thoughts to communicate. But to whom, she wondered. A long moment of still silence formed, until it was shattered by a very familiar voice  
  
"Hey Ra-a-ayman!" A small green form on fast beating wings materialized out of the gloom and skidded to a stop near Rayman's right side. The little fairy had an amusing colorful outfit of yellows and purples that really made him stand out of the drab environment. Anyone would tell that the small green fairy was none other than Murphy, one of Rayman's most trusted friends. He hovered just inches from Rayman's face, an everlasting huge grin drawn on his face. "So Rayman, why did ya call me here? Need any help, bud?" Rayman took the moment to survey his friends' expressions. He gave them an 'everything's okay' hand signal before continuing. "Actually, yes I do. Listen well, Murphy. I need an army of your most powerful fairies. I need them here as fast as possible, without any delays. Can you do that for me, pal?" Murphy's face expression suddenly changed to a face of concern  
  
"Why would ya need a thing like that? Has Andre returned?" Without speaking, Rayman pointed to the valley behind Murphy. When the green fairy turned around and saw the large army of demonic creatures, he turned back to Rayman with a mask of pure terror. "You're going against Morphina?" Rayman nodded solemnly. "Oh my God, Rayman! Where do ya get these crazy ideas? That venom-spitting creature eats da likes of us for lunch! Ya must be joking if you want the Fairy Council to send their greatest fairies against her. We're pacifists, and we don't fight wars. Zombie-tamers fight Morphina, not fairies. Okay?" Ivy and Davis groaned hopelessly in unison. Another plan just went down the drain in one fell swoop.  
  
Fortunately for them, some people didn't give up that easily. In one solid movement of his right hand, Bad-Rayman snatched Murphy out of the air and convinced him in the best way he could think of. "Listen, you little toad with wings! For the last three days, we have been fighting against Morphina without any success. Look at us; we have three zombie-tamers in our disposal and we still don't have any luck coming our way! I'm not going to stand around and listen to a small fairy with a mouth bigger than his brain tell us that some powerful fairies are not willing to fight!"  
  
Murphy struggled in the ex-Commander's grip. "Hey, bud! Ease up on the grip!" Bad-Rayman complied. The winged imp took a few seconds to stretch out his wings before he shot back at the counterpart. "We've fought in wars before, but always we weren't needed. What about the war with Razorbeard, Mister Dark, and Andre? Of course, you would know that war seeing as you were born from it! They took more time than three days, yes, but they were all ended with the victory of only one person. If Rayman can do it, then so can a human with magic..."  
  
"This is different! Razorbeard and Mister Dark all had brainless creatures that destroyed property, but only enslaved their enemies. These creatures don't want prisoners; they want fresh meat in their mouths! If we go down there in a forceful assault, we'll be torn apart by millions of ripping claws. If we were to have an army to back us up, then we will have a better chance of meeting up with Morphina in one piece. What do you say to that, greenbottle?" Murphy sighed in defeat. "Fine. Fiiine! I'll send for the Fairy Council, but it'll take some time for an accurate decision. For now, go around the perimeter and see if ya can find Morphina. Been nice yelling with ya, Rayman's shadow!"  
  
Murphy dashed off without any remaining trace of his presence. Ivy said the first thought on her mind. "Are all your friends like that?" Rayman nodded. "They may be strange, but they sure come in handy! Let's go find that demon!"  
  
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The team split up into two groups. With Ivy as the leader, two zombie- tamers, Illusion and Rayman set out to the left in search of Morphina. The other team had a force just as formidable; Bane, Donnia, Davis, and the two ex-Commanders lead off in the other direction with Donnia as the leader, each one marching in high hopes of finding Morphina.  
  
However, despite what Ivy had said to her, Donnia was not looking for Morphina. Instead, she kept her eye out for her best friend Rex. She kept her sword held in front of her as if to ward off an unseen enemy. Behind her marched the massive form of Bane, his body bent so low to the ground that his stomach brushed against the ground. Davis and the two retired cutthroats walked behind Bane's hulking form. Donnia kept her eyes open as she searched the skies up above the battlefield they were circling. She knew very well that Morphina changed Rex into a flying creature, thanks to the information gathered during her short stay in the army, and he would most likely be hovering above the heads of his peers.  
  
Unfortunately, she didn't know that he was watching her as well. He smirked venomously from his perch in a dead swamp tree. To his side, his demonic companion waited with a loaded gun in his hands. "Poor Nia. She actually thinks she has the drop on us." He motioned to Razoff. "Give them something that will make them think otherwise..." The unseen creature smiled in grim satisfaction as he triggered his gun. He aimed at a spot where he couldn't miss...  
  
Bang! Bane screeched in pain, his sense of concealment forgotten as he fell into a wounded stance. Donnia nearly choked on a sob when she saw the oozing cut form above Bane's left shoulder. Before anyone could react, two shapes leaped from the trees and landed in the space in front of them. Rex stood impressively in front of his prey, his condor wings spread wide to make himself more intimidating. At his side stood Razoff, who was now a goblin-like creature with glowing red eyes, mottled green coloration, and claws about as flexible as human hands. Rex watched everyone's shocked expressions and grinned wider, showing his impressive canines.  
  
"It seems that you're not the only ones keeping a patrol around here. If you had any idea of proper tracking, then we would've been spotted a few hours ago. I know exactly what you're planning, and I can very well tell Morphina about the little sentry waltzing around the perimeter of this deathtrap. But, that would take the fun right out of this opportunity." Donnia stepped forward momentarily, her sword held out in front of her. "What do you mean deathtrap?" Rex chuckled, then threw a rock over where the land slanted downwards into the basin. It wasn't very far away; only about three feet away from Donnia. Freya took the chance to peer over the side. The rock didn't even slow as it descended down the slope, and only then did she realize that the slant was steep enough to be considered vertical. When the rock hit the ground with a dull thump, a group of snarling demons rushed to where the sound was with open jaws. Freya swallowed.  
  
"You see? One wrong step and you'll fall right in Morphina's open arms. I'd better watch my step if I were you." Freya shot Rex a venomous glance as she turned away from the ledge. "So, what are you going to do with us, Mr. Big Shot? I'm sure you expect us to listen to you gloat about your career in Morphina's army. Maybe you'd like to relate to how powerful you and Razoff are." Freya sneered. She also had her sword out and ready to use, and only then did she notice that her sword started to glow unnaturally with a dull hidden light of its own as she felt her battle spirit take form. She also noticed that by now, her best friend had also joined Donnia's side. Rex watched the three slayers with their extended blade tips with great amusement. "I don't expect you to listen..." Rex suddenly began to hover about two inches from the ground. Red flames started to lick his fingertips as he prepared to use dangerous battle magic.  
  
"I expect you to die!" Rex sent a fury of fire towards the two swordsmen. Freya held her sword up to block, and was amazed to see the flames ricochet off the shimmering blade. The demon that was once Rex had to twist in mid- air to dodge his own magic. Donnia turned to Freya with eyes as wide as saucers. "Is that an elemental sword?" She asked as Freya stared at the blade glowing red-hot. The white wolf chimera shrugged.  
  
"Might as well be. We need all the help we can get!" With those words, Freya, Bad-Rayman, and Donnia rushed to battle Rex. The vampire/demon dodged their sword swipes almost flawlessly, but he had to back away a considerable amount away from his original spot. The heroes' plan went perfectly; they were isolating Rex away from his partner to separate their powers. As they did so, that left the path open between the demonic hunter Razoff and his prey; Bane the last of his kind. In one split second, Bane found himself locked in a battle that made experience major deja vu.  
  
Only this time it was Bane that was injured, not Razoff, and now the demon didn't have the nerve or the bloodlust to fight as brutally as he once intended to do. Instead, he was doing a considerable amount of false swiping and biting to make sure he didn't hurt his friend. Bane stroke fruitlessly, his left side sticky with his own darkened blood. When he did hit Razoff, Bane made sure he didn't inject any poison into him, not knowing what would happen if the Concealment of Evil's puppet was injected with demon venom. The presence of Davis nearby with a weapon ready comforted the demon, but not as much as Ivy's presence would of. Why didn't Davis get a Tamer's Sword as well, Bane asked himself.  
  
"I wonder what piece of you I will hang above my fireplace, just above your friends? Would a claw do? Of would you prefer for your skull to hang?" Razoff hissed, as he stood motionless in front of Bane's nose. Bane was bent down in a crouched position like a cowering dog before its master. By now, the creature had learned that Bane wasn't in the fighting spirit and was using it to his advantage. "You don't know what you're saying. Please snap out of it! The Concealment of Evil can't take away every trace of free will!" Bane cried. Davis winced as he stood a good distance away from the two battling demons with a slingshot aimed at Razoff's head. He didn't dare to attack the creature openly, for he feared that Bane would lash out at him if he raised a dagger against Razoff. A solid rock would probably blind one of his eyes at best, but he couldn't bear to cause the hunter to shed blood. Why didn't I ask Ivy for the Tamer's sword and a flask of Elixir in the first place if I was fighting against these goons, Davis wondered.  
  
"Quit toying around, Bane. It's sad to see a demon as powerful as you to break down and cry just before he bites the dust. I'd expect you to have a little more dignity..." Suddenly, an idea sprang up in Bane's mind. He smiled in glee as he put into play an answer to his problem. "I do happen to have dignity, unlike some people I know!" Davis and Razoff both glared at Bane in perfect unison, each one with their own mix of emotions. Just what is he doing? Davis' mind was swarming with thoughts. Bane sneered as he rose up to fair height. "You know whom I'm talking to. You pathetic little puppet; you're nothing more than a child's toy that Morphina will soon go tired of and discard in a trash heap. Some hunter you are if you can't even catch a weak little sea demon like me without the help of a Mistress and her pet cloaking device. You're a fraud!"  
  
"Argh! I'm not a fraud! I've tangled with more ferocious beasts than you!" Razoff hissed as he reached for his gun. Davis gasped in shock when he saw that the reddish glow in the half-demon's eye started to fade into Razoff's normal eye color. The Concealment of Evil was losing its grip on Razoff's will, but how?  
  
He took a tentative step closer, until he saw the barrel of a long shotgun being pointed at his chest. "Come any closer and I'll mount you on my wall, little thief!" Thief? He called me that when we first met! Davis jumped inwardly for joy when he heard the edge of Razoff's voice replace the sinister hiss of the Concealment. Did Jano forget to mention this method of getting rid of the Concealment's hold?  
  
"Go ahead, little puppet; I'll be standing right here. I'm sure even a hot shot like you can hit a stationary demon from this far away!" Bane snarled. He placed a claw to his mouth and yawned, the sign of indifference and boredom, as he stood motionless just a few yards away from the enraged gunman. He didn't even care that the barrel of a gun was being aimed straight at his neck. Razoff was close to pulling the trigger, when he stopped himself.  
  
"What the hell am I doing? I can't shoot Bane! He promised me back...my mansion...Ack!" Razoff started quivering violently. He clutched at his head and screeched painfully as something emerged from his back like another shadow. Davis saw what it was; the Concealment of Evil's byproduct. With one quick leap of his tense body, he slashed at the venomous cloud with a glowing dagger. It severed the shadowy mass, but it only injured it as it made a beeline to its owner. It slipped into the Valley of Mud like a living fog and disappeared out of sight.  
  
"Ugh...My head..." Count Razoff sighed. He collapsed in a tired heap on the ground. When the Concealment of Evil left him, it also took away his demonic look, changing him into just a hunter with torn clothing. Davis shot a look at Razoff then at Bane. "How did you do that?" Davis asked. Bane picked up Razoff carefully in his right claw, careful not to scrap him against his lethal claws. As he caressed his friend carefully, Bane explained.  
  
"Jano told me how to, but he also told me that you'd probably figure out on your own. Anyways, the Concealment of Evil can enslave the free wills of its captives, but it's spellbinding is not a strong as that of Morphina's and the zombie-tamers. I drove the Concealment out by returning Razoff's free will by wearing on his pride as a hunter. That's what caused the Concealment to fail, and Razoff to be free once again."  
  
Then, Bane winked to Davis. "I also coated the back of my hands with Elixir of Life. That was a good act I pulled with Razoff. 'You don't know what you're saying. Please snap out of it!'" The demon started to laugh, but Davis thought that his pleading earlier was real. Bane then produced a flask of Elixir of Life from underneath one of the cuffs that still hung around his wrists. Davis held the flask as if it were treasure. "You don't need the Elixir of Life to unpossess someone. It just saves time, like two hours of talking and reasoning. But remember, don't waste a drop!" At this time, the dragonish demon lowered his head so that his eyes were level with Davis.  
  
Davis met Bane's hardened silvery eyes. The young boy exhaled deeply. "I have to help Donnia and the rest of the gang! They may need my help!" Davis ran off to where the demon/vampire Rex had led his friends. As he disappeared into the mist, Bane ran off in the opposite direction, but not without a parting goodbye.  
  
"May strength follow you, zombie-tamer!"  
  
________________________  
  
When Davis reached the rest of the group, he feared himself already too late.  
  
The scene was gruesome in on itself. Rex the demon/vampire creature flapped above three unmoving creatures. Freya was leaning against a tree trunk, clutching a shoulder wound. The purple runes around her ears sparkled as she tried to heal herself as fast as possible. Bad-Rayman also looked horrible, for he looked like someone had dragged him through five miles of mud-coated thorns. He was using all of his energy just to keep himself from fainting. Donnia was the worst of them all. The blood flowing from a wound in her scalp coated her hair. She lay unmoving just below Rex with her beautiful sword buried tip-first in the ground near her foot. Davis swallowed the rest of his fear and ran up to the group.  
  
"Freya! Donnia! Bad-Rayman! I know how to cure Rex! All you have to do is to free his soul from the Conceal-ahhhh!" Davis had to jump out of the way as Rex sent a fireball hurdling his way. Too late; the group had already heard his message. By now, Freya was fully healed and was trying to go to Donnia's side without getting burnt to a crisp by Rex. Bad-Rayman shot Davis a dirty look. "Is that all? Why don't we make a side order of fries while we're at it!" Bad-Rayman added sarcastically. He fell to his knees, panting and convulsing horribly.  
  
"Insolent youth! Do you really believe that even that will help you against me? Razoff didn't have half the powers that I possess!" Rex shouted. A wave of fire rose to his command, surrounding Donnia and her weapon. Freya leapt into the Ring of Fire by slashing the magic with her elemental sword. By doing so, she deflected enough magic to create a doorway large enough through the fire that she could weave through with Donnia and her sword in tow.  
  
"I like your idea, Davis. But, it might take Donnia's help to perform it!" Freya then started to work her magic on Donnia. It seemed to work, because Donnia's scalp was mended like a broken cloth under a steady needle and she started to twitch. "What do you mean, Freya?" Davis asked the wolf. Freya lifted her head towards the boy and grinned. "Because, you can't be spending a lot of time with just one person and not develop compassion for them. You learn to stick by them through thick and thin, and you then learn that you would give up your life to make sure they're safe. I see that kind of bondage in Donnia's eyes, and in Rex's. That will be our weapon..."  
  
At this point, Davis wondered why he saw no sign of Rex returning fire, until he saw a flare out of the corner of his eye. While Freya was preoccupied with Donnia and Davis, Bad-Rayman had managed to summon enough strength to snatch Freya's elemental sword and use it like a racket to send the fireballs away from the others. Rex, finding this newfound strength amusing, played a little game of magic ping-pong. Rex would send a large ball-shaped fireball in Freya's direction, and would watch with great interest as Bad-Rayman expended every last shred of energy he possessed to smack away the fireball.  
  
Donnia then sat up with a start when she heard the sound of Rex's laughter in the background. "Drac!" She stood up and grabbed her sword, which was plainer and less magical than Freya's, but it was more than enough for her use. Before she ran to meet her adversary, Davis told her what she needed to do, but it was vague without a quick explanation of the fight between Bane and Razoff earlier. When he was through, Donnia nodded and instead of running to meet Rex she stood by Davis and waited for her opening that Davis told her about. At the same time, Freya rose and dashed off to help her friend.  
  
"Save your strength, Bad-Rayman. You'll need it to see the fireworks show I've put together just for you." Rex stated clearly above the Rayman copy's head. He was down on his knees, covered in new burns and mud. He gave Rex a venomous glare. "Don't...you...ever...shut..." He passed out before he could finish his sentence. Freya's family heirloom clattered to the ground next to him. Rex landed on the ground next to Bad-Rayman, and picked up the beautiful sword. He studied it for a moment, then drove it towards the back of the fallen victim's head.  
  
The blade hit empty ground. He cursed when he saw Freya with Bad-Rayman curled in her arms. "Remember when we met on the opposite sides of the battlefield two years ago? The one where I had the element of speed? We never wanted to hurt you, but by raising your sword against my best friend, you've destroyed my last shred of patience for you!" At the word you, Freya was upon him. Rex was caught totally off-guard, and was knocked so hard onto his back that he could hear his beautiful wings break under the pressure. Freya gave him a hardened smile, then pointed her sword tip at Rex's throat. "It doesn't matter how invincible you are if you're missing your head. Whatever you do, don't move."  
  
Freya turned to Davis. "Davis! Donnia! Now's your chance!" From where they were standing, Davis passed her a nod and she walked towards the pinned demon. She opened the bottle of Elixir and poured enough liquid to coat her fingers. She rubbed them across her lips...  
  
Freya got off in an instant to help Bad-Rayman. Donnia smoothed her lips one final time with her fingers then kissed Rex from where he was sitting. It was a romantic-filled non-obscene kind of kiss, the kind that would make your heart melt if you were there to watch it. As if on an instant, Rex began to shrink and to change back into the well-built human/vampire that he was before Morphina got to him. The Concealment's shroud melted away from his body and disappeared into the atmosphere.  
  
Rex Skyler and Donnia Starhunter embraced. "I'm so sorry, Nia. I'd rather die at the claws of Morphina then hurt you and the rest of my friends..." Freya watched with teary eyes while Bad-Rayman washed his wounds with some of the Elixir's liquids. When the cuts mended themselves, the Rayman counterpart gave his two cents. "Wait a minute, Romeo and Juliet! Isn't there someone we should be helping right at this time?"  
  
The two slayers broke apart at once at this remark. Everyone gathered his or her fallen weapons in a rush.  
  
"After all, Ivy's going to need all the help she can get!"  
  
_____________________________________________  
  
"When is the army going to get here, Rayman?"  
  
Ten minutes before Rex's freedom from the Concealment of Evil, Ivy and the people in her party were ducked down low in the underbrush, scanning the enemy lines for a human in a long purple cloak or a scorpion/serpent beast with tan scales. Rayman shrugged hopelessly, despite the fact that he didn't have shoulders, as he watched the demons shift uncomfortably in anxiety for fresh blood. "They'll be coming as soon as Murphy convinces them. Lucky for us, he's very persuasive for his size." I hope you're right, Ivy thought. She knew Rosemary and Rayman were there beside her, but Illusion had disappeared over thirty minutes ago. She was afraid he had fallen into the valley.  
  
"There she is!" Rosemary exclaimed. She pointed a finger towards an opening in the army. Sure enough, Morphina had just emerged from the cloak of demonic soldiers with the Concealment of Evil bobbing near her head like a dark night wisp. Ivy clutched her sword so tightly it bit into her palm. "We have to go down there somehow..." Ivy whispered. Rayman stopped her before she could move another inch towards the basin. "We called the fairies so that we could create a way to get to Morphina without being ripped to shreds. Just be patient. They're closer than you think..."  
  
As if on cue, a dim flash of light materialized in front of the concealed group. When the light faded, Ly the fairy stood in its place. Ivy smiled warmly at the fairy, being polite even in the most dangerous of times. "Rayman, our army has come to your aide. We got the help from almost every Teensie and Sprite in the entire world. We even got help with the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams!" Ivy jumped at the mention of Jano. "You mean Jano is going to fight too? That's exactly what Morphina wants him to do!" Ivy exclaimed. Ly was stunned at the teenager's sudden outburst, but only for a few seconds. "No, but he did give me this..."  
  
Ly held out her right hand, and suddenly the skull staff that Jano usually carried appeared with the help of magic. Everyone looked to his or her partners, as if wondering what the disturbing talisman would do. Ly read their minds. "Jano has decided that if Morphina can't be destroyed, she can be imprisoned. His staff now contains enough magic to seal Morphina within a cell that will be enough to contain her. However, I wouldn't highly depend on it. Jano had to thumb through some dusty novels to get the right spell." She tossed the staff to Rayman, who was the only one present that wasn't gripping a deadly weapon in his hands. "Use it well. I'll signal the fairies to launch the attack."  
  
With another flash of silver light, Ly was gone. As instantly as she had disappeared, a large group of fairies appeared in the valley below them. A rainbow of light sparkled beneath them as fairies struck demons with magic. The demons scrambled to hit their attackers, only to find that the new fighters had the ability to dodge almost every attack the monsters threw at them. The demons fell like flies under the magic, but not after taking a few fairies with them. After about five minutes of one-sided fairy battling, the armies of demons parted like the Red Seas to Mose's command, and every hero standing above the valley could pick out Morphina amid the gloom. She smiled and beckoned them to come. "Well, what do you know? She was planning for this to happen!" Rayman hissed. The two zombie-tamers, Senior and Junior, nodded to each other in agreement.  
  
Without any further thoughts, the three heroes jumped down into the basin- turned-battlefield. The three of them slid down the muddy slope with ease, and landed with barely a scratch on them, although their entire backside was covered in mud. Uneasily, the three-trained heroes started down the path Morphina had made. The demons went on fighting the fairies without even passing a glance at them. A few minutes later, they were staring face- to-face with Morphina. The air was filled with nothing but the sounds of fairy magic behind them, but the intensity of the situation clouded the sounds away from them. Morphina signaled the demons nearest to her to back away, and they did so. Right after they backed away, some fairy's thunder magic finished them. Morphina paid no heed.  
  
"Well, so this is where our last stand will be, Ivy." Morphina broke the eerie silence between her and her enemies. Her voice had a tinge of sadness. "You know, ever since I've goaded you to claim your birthright those six months ago, I've been testing your worth. To tell you the truth Darling, those events six months ago were only a test to see if I was fighting the right zombie-tamer. Davis fell easily under my grip, Rosemary was a joke, Jano couldn't leave his post, but you found the luck to summon up the 'hero of the world'. When we last fought, I went a little easy on you. I pretended that you have killed me, giving me an advantage in this whole scheme of things. However, this time I'll be pulling all stops and won't hold anything back!"  
  
Needless to say, Ivy was really shocked at this kind of news. "If you could easily kill me, then why did you let me live long enough to let me claim the Tamer's Sword?" Morphina instantly replied. As she did so, she shifted out of her human disguise and became the serpent/scorpion monster that she was born as. Tan scales gleamed with poison in the sunlight as Morphina told Ivy her reasons. "Because I wanted to prove the world that Polokus' weapon against me was futile. Use your head, female! If I can break out of the strongest dungeon in the world, stay unknown for countless generations, finish off everybody with the power to stop me in one fell swoop, and have the power to have Polokus himself shaking, then I could seize this world without so much as an objection against me!"  
  
"That's where you're wrong!" Rosemary rose in front of the scorpion creature. Behind Morphina, Rosemary could pick out Davis, Donnia, Rex, and the two ex-Commanders amid the gloom. She kept her face passive to make sure not to give them away. "Ivy is stronger than you think! If she could make friends with a demon you freed, along with both Rayman and his shadow, then she has more power than you could uphold. You're nothing more than a coward that hides behind her own army. If you want a challenge, then face it without laying a bunch of hoops for her to go through!"  
  
"ENOUGH!!!" Morphina spat out a cloud of strong-smelling acid from her mouth. Rosemary didn't even move away from the acid, and before she was hit she wore a mask of grim satisfaction. Everyone in the group, along with the rejoined group led by Donnia, gasped as they watched Rosemary be engulfed in a green blaze. When the acid faded, nothing more than a pile of ash lay. Ivy watched the scene with trembling legs and wet eyes. Rayman patted her shoulder reassuringly, but he couldn't find anything to say. However, Ivy wasn't trembling because she was sad and afraid. Instead, she was trembling from a new rage, a new hatred for the slimy demon.  
  
Morphina disregarded the ash with an animal-like snort. "I've kept her alive for too long. Now Ivy, let me show how I really get rid of annoying vermin, without the use of large pathetic armies or traitorous scum from the seas!" The Concealment of Evil rushed towards her, and caressed her serpentine neck like a pulsating necklace. Then, the shroud surrounded Morphina. Everyone in the basin, including the fairies and the demons, watched the scene with wide eyes.  
  
"She's nuts!" Rayman shouted, but no one else paid attention to his outburst. The shroud-covered beast grew taller and wider. The two groups, one in front of Morphina and one behind, had to step away a great deal in order to keep from being smashed. She grew until she seemed to be size of a redwood. The Concealment faded, and revealed that Morphina had become something ten times as fierce as her old self had. Her main body features didn't change much, only that she now stood higher, her scales jutted out more, and a solid black marking that looked like a rune more than anything formed on her chest. She gave a mighty roar that shook the very ground.  
  
"Don't you see, Ivy? I'm the most powerful creature on the face of the Earth!" Morphina hissed, her voice deeper and warped. She clicked her pincer-like claws together in satisfaction.  
  
"This ends now!"  
  
_______________________  
  
Morphina lashed out with one of her pincer-like claws. Ivy jumped away just in time. The Tamer's Light flowed through the sword, just like last time. She knew what she had to do; all she had to do was slash Morphina with the Tamer's Light, and she was done for. Right? With a battle cry, Ivy stabbed Morphina's left foot. Clang! The blade bounced off like it just hit solid steel.  
  
"Ivy! Look out!" Davis called as he rushed across the mud to his sister. He knocked the astonished Ivy out of the way with a well-placed body slam. Ivy tumbled away from the tip of Morphina's tail, but Davis wasn't so lucky. He was tossed aside like dirty garbage, a slash mark running from his waist to his shoulder. Ivy stared at the scene in terror, and was about to see if he was all right when she felt a small earthquake behind her. Before she could move another muscle, Bane picked her up like a baby cat and placed her on his back. He ran out of range of Morphina's attacks all the way until he was inches away from the basin's wall.  
  
"Ivy, we have to attack the heart of the Concealment! It's the only way to finish off Morphina for good!" Bane shouted to her. Ivy shook her head with eyes filling up with tears. "I can't, Bane! It's impossible for me to do it. I'm just a worthless little nobody that believed that Morphina was stoppable!" Ivy wailed. A gentle slap of Bane's tail stopped her from shedding anymore tears. Without a word, Bane motioned his head to the symbol on Morphina's chest. "You have to attack the heart! Believe in yourself, Ivy! Crying will just hold you down. Listen well, I'm going to charge at full speed, and I'm going to launch you at Morphina's chest. Try to pierce her heart that way!"  
  
Ivy couldn't protest, as Bane was already running before she could think of a comeback. He charged without stopping, even as he stepped on the many charred remains of demons. Ivy slid down his neck as he moved so that she could sit on his large serpentine head. When they reached Morphina again, three things happened at once.  
  
First, Morphina hit Bane with a sweeping motion of her twisted tail. At the same time, Bane launched Ivy into the air with a solid motion with his head. Ivy felt herself sailing through the air, and she realized that Morphina was too tall for her to attack her heart from this height. Then, Ivy began to drop. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for a sudden impact.  
  
Whoosh! Ivy was picked up by the waist in mid-air. Before she could ask, she heard a comforting voice joke to her. "Rule number one in flying: Have the right equipment necessary for flight! Good to see you, Ivy!" Lo and behold, Rayman had pulled her out of the sky and was now flying upwards at a steady rate. His voice was muffled because he had Jano's skull staff wedged between his teeth. What had happened was that Ly had once again granted Rayman the power of flight, something that Rayman missed dearly since the battle with one of the Guardians of the four Masks of Polokus. With a steady motion of his arms, Rayman tossed her to the giant rune symbol tattooed on Morphina's chest.  
  
The next moments felt like an eternity for Ivy. She was soaring through the air with her glowing sword pointed towards the monster's chest. Her sword slid easily into the skin like a hot knife through butter, and Ivy's sword was pinned to her. A horrifying roar unlike anything that anyone in the whole world could've heard filled the air, as Morphina twisted and struggled. The Tamer's Sword melted into the wound like an icicle under the hot sun, and Ivy fell. Rayman grabbed her out of the sky and pulled her away from the struggling demon.  
  
In the air, Ivy could see the scene clearly. Morphina landed to the ground with a thud, and was already melting into the smaller size that she was normally. The Concealment of Evil was evaporating away from the wound in her chest like smoke, and Ivy knew that the evil shroud was destroyed and could never be used again for evil. Bane was limping on three legs to his friends, and one of his legs was twisted horribly. Freya and Donnia were both wiping their swords, and Ivy could plainly see that they have been helping with the demon killing as well. Not a single demon was left standing, well, except for Bane anyway. Rayman waited until they were near the group until he brought Ivy down to the earth. From there, she received patting and cheers by her friends, but she saw that not everybody was there to greet her.  
  
"Davis!" Ivy ran to where she saw Davis fall. The small boy was still lying on the ground where Morphina had stung him. The wound was swollen and was glistening purple where the tip of Morphina's tail slashed Davis. His body was strangely limp, and there was no warmth left in the boy's body. Still, Ivy tried to wake him up. "Come on, Davis! We won the fight. Morphina's done for, and you're a hero!" She poured some drops of Elixir in Davis's mouth, but there was still no response. She started shaking him harder. Ivy's voice started to crack. "Davis! We don't have to train anymore! We can explore the world now. We can climb mountains, run across fields, and be normal children again! Just like you wanted!"  
  
Tears started to flow from Ivy's eyes. The boy was still not moving. She splashed a whole cupful of Elixir of Life on Davis's wound, but it didn't do its magic like it did with Freya's foot. At this point, Ivy became hysterical. "Davis? Davis please! Don't leave me here! DAVIS!!!"  
  
_______________________  
  
It seemed that Jano's gift did not go unused. Before the sun had set into the West, Polokus himself came to the basin filled with mud and dead demons. Morphina wasn't dead, but rather close to becoming dead. Her mouth was oozing with blood and she could barely stand. Still, she lashed out at any fairy that came near. "Morphina," Polokus began, "you have attacked the innocent for long enough! Your original keeper has provided you a separate prison to contain you..."  
  
The god brought down the staff, and the ground began to crack underneath Morphina. She didn't protest when a swirling portal emerged from the ground underneath her. It was a pitch-black portal that acted more like quicksand than anything else was. Morphina's body parts began to disappear into the portal. First her feet, then her legs, and then her body. When all that was left of her was her head, she glared at the god and shouted something in her own language, one that sounds like a complex arrangement of hisses and growls. When Ivy asked what she said, Ly said calmly, "Morphina's a bragger to the very end. She said 'No prison can contain me'."  
  
Even so, it sent shivers down Ivy's spine.  
  
_______________________  
  
Two days later, a funeral was held near Ivy's house. Everyone showed up: Jano, Bane, Razoff, Donnia, Rex, Freya, Bad-Rayman, Rayman, and everybody else who was either a friend of Ivy or a fairy that fought against the demons. It was a simple funeral, with just a casket and Ly to say some prayers to the corpse. No tears were held back during the funeral, and it was both amazing and pitiful to see scary-looking creatures like Bane and Jano shed giant tears. Rayman even laid down Davis's dagger into his coffin, by the cadaver's side. It seemed like it took five hours instead of five minutes for Davis's coffin to lower into a freshly dug hole near the Cave of Bad Dreams' entrance.  
  
"First my mother, then my brother. Why did they have to die at Morphina's hands, Jano?" Ivy asked a few minutes after the funeral was over. She felt a strongly built hand rest on her shoulder. "Such is the fate of zombie- tamers. Each generation of zombie-tamers is often singled out. Rosemary used to have two sisters, but one of them died when a sea demon attacked the boat she was sailing on, and the other one was torn apart by Morphina herself. However, it was not always so with some of them, like me, the only person of my kind to receive the power of the zombie-tamers. If the one- zombie-tamer-per-generation rule was evident, then I'd be dead."  
  
Ivy sighed. "Still, it's going to be a lot quieter without Davis around..." Her teacher said nothing, but the comforting thought that he was still here brought a smile to her face.  
  
Now that Morphina was gone, she had a lot of adventuring to catch up on....  
  
_______________________  
  
Epilogue (what happened after the defeat of Morphina)  
  
Ivy Thorn stayed with her father in the swamplands, but she now took trips to different parts of the world every once in a while, along with some in unexplored sectors in the Cave of Bad Dreams. She plans to sail to her mother's homeland, which was across the sea. Who knows what adventures she'll find there..?  
  
Rayman, Globox, and his group of friends are living the life of heroes. They're relaxing now, but in their hearts they know that someday they will be faced with another challenge that will call for their assistance. Of course, Rayman sometimes crosses paths with Ivy occasionally, in which they smile warmly and greet each other with brief talks and visits together.  
  
Freya and Bad-Rayman returned to Bluddwiek, where they were made as big of heroes as Ivy there. Now, instead of working at the inn, they now own a lovely estate at the rich side of town for helping fight against Morphina. Freya now teaches a school that trains students to fight like a warrior, and Bad-Rayman's a general in the Bluddwiek army.  
  
Razoff still lives his life like he used to, but this time he's more careful of taking care of unexpected guests. He also gave Bane the two sea demon skulls his father shot down, which Bane then buried in the sand of the Great Bay coast. It turned out that the two demons Razoff's father shot down were not Bane's friends, but rather his two sons Blade and Tide.  
  
Illusion had disappeared early during the fight against Morphina. They found him after they searched the bodies of the demonic Commanders. He was wearing two grins; one on his face, and one across his throat. His staff was buried deep within the nearest demon, and the fairies suspect he committed suicide.  
  
Bane returned to the sea, but this time he isn't filled with anger like he was before his imprisonment. Now, he directs ships away from reefs and concealed barriers. He also searches the seas for any hidden members of his old pack. However, if he does find anybody of his species, he'll have different intentions this time...  
  
Donnia and Rex still travel the world, but now they like staying at Bluddwiek at the end of each journey. They have been given the status of heroes, but they rejected the riches the fairies gave him. To them, riches are nothing important to the likes of them. One of these days, they plan to settle down, start a family, and live happily ever after.  
  
Jano is still Ivy's teacher, but he's now teaching Ivy the history of her ancestors before her. He suspects that she knows as much as her mother used to know, and that she can live on the information that he had already taught her. Now, they consider themselves more as friends then as student and teacher.  
  
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As for Morphina...No one knows where she was locked up in or what she's thinking, but needless to say, she isn't too thrilled. Also, what prison can contain the very incarnation of evil and poison?  
  
No one knows, but anyone can guess. For this story is one that has no end, and is one with endless possibilities for how it could end.  
  
But for now, it's up to you to decide....  
  
The End.  
  
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What did you think of my story, now that it's finished? :) Remember to leave a review to tell me about my progress, talent, or my lack of it. As for Ryoko, Under the Moonlight has not been forgotten. Expect that soon either in the Rayman section, or the fantasy section in Fictionpress.net (I really can't decide which would work out better. Any ideas?)  
  
I'm sorry it took so long again, but the end of school is always hectic. :)  
  
Leave a review, okay? 


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